This appears to be a positive dream.
I believe that many of our dreams, perhaps most, are feedback about the dreamer’s psychological/spiritual development. This is essentially what Edgar Cayce said.
Although a search of the internet can give possible meanings for a shell in the dreamer’s mouth, I believe that most of the interpretations miss the mark.
There are at least three approaches to the interpretation of this dream.
The first approach is to determine the significance of the shell by identifying the type of shell.
More specifically –
- If it is a clam shell, the dream may be telling the dreamer to “clam up.”
- If it is an oyster, this may be a reference to the pearl which is associated with the oyster.
- If it is a conch shell, it may be symbolic or suggestive of a Hindu deity. Although there are several candidates, I believe that it refers to Lord Vishnu.
- https://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/vishnu.asp “Vishnu means the giver and provider of things. In popular Hinduism, he is the preserver and upholder of dharma and part of the Hindu Trinity.”
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shankha
- “A Shankha (conch shell) has religious ritual importance in Hinduism. It is the shell of any suitable sea snail which had a hole made for the performer's embouchure.”
- “In Hindu history, the shankha is a sacred emblem of The Hindu preserver god Vishnu. It is still used as a trumpet in Hindu ritual, and in the past was used as a war trumpet. The shankha is praised in Hindu scriptures as a giver of fame, longevity and prosperity, the cleanser of sin and the abode of goddess Lakshmi, who is the goddess of prosperity and consort of Vishnu.”
- https://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/the-conch-shell-or-the-shankha/ “According to Hindu mythology, the conch shell is a revered and sacred emblem of the Hindu god Vishnu, known as the Preserver. When blown, the sound heard from the conch shell is said to be symbolic of the sacred ‘Om’ sound and Vishnu, who’s always portrayed holding it in his right hand, is the god of sound. The shell also represents the home of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth who was also the consort of Lord Vishnu.”
But there is another approach to the interpretation of this dream.
The most reasonable interpretation is that it is a shamanistic dream. Why is this?
It is a shaman-type dream because the shell was strongly attached to the dreamer’s gum(?). So, what does this have to do with shamanism? It is common for a shaman or a shaman-to-be to have a dream, trance or even a vision where parts of his (or her) body is replaced with something(s) more durable. For examples, the heart might be replaced with a large ruby, or the bones might be changed into metallic bones such as iron or steel. Sometimes the shaman be given extra body parts such as additional fingers or even an internal organ such as an additional heart, liver or lungs.
The third approach emphasizes the mouth. It could be related to the 5th chakra. “The vishuddha or throat chakra is the fifth of the seven main chakras, located at the base of the throat area. It governs self-expression, communication, and the ability to speak one's truth.”
https://www.anahana.com/en/yoga/throat-chakra
To conclude, these approaches are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Nevertheless, I do believe that this is a positive dream with shamanistic overtones.
Hopes this helps and is not too confusing,
Lugus