It's common for adults to lose a back molar, often to gum disease, tooth decay, or injury. Since back molars don't affect the overall appearance of your smile, you might be tempted to skip replacing it. That's not the best idea. Missing a tooth, even just one, can cause severe and permanent damage to your entire mouth.
Benefits of saving a natural tooth
Not only are natural teeth stronger, but they also offer better functionality than prosthetics or crowns. Plus, your natural teeth will are more durable and easier to care for. When a tooth is extracted, it leaves behind a gap, even those back molars no one sees.
Back Molars Preserve Jaw Bone Density
If you lack one or more back molars, the jaw bone won't have enough stimulation from chewing and it will produce insufficient new bone mass to replace the bone that is naturally broken down.
The biggest factor a dentist looks at when deciding if a tooth can be saved is how much “good” tooth structure there is left. If the tooth is broken at the gumline and has a big cavity that goes down to the bone then there is little hope that the tooth can be saved.
Knocked-out teeth need to be treated by a dentist within 1-2 hours. Call us immediately. If possible we will attempt to reinsert the tooth or bond any broken fragments back into place. However, if there is nerve damage involved, you may require endodontic treatment to save the tooth.
After you undergo a tooth extraction, you will need to replace the missing tooth or teeth. If the teeth are not replaced, the bones in your mouth can weaken and lose density. Other teeth also might shift, and you might experience trouble eating.
It would be best to replace missing teeth as soon as possible to prevent tooth shifting. However, if you have a tooth extracted, it is advised to wait four to six months to have the tooth replaced. All in all, this interval gives your gums time to heal before performing another operation.
Damage below the gumline – A severe crack or split below your gumline may make it impossible for a dentist to save the tooth. Severe trauma – Fractured tooth roots or extensive damage may make it challenging for a dentist to save your tooth.
A broken or cracked tooth treatment does not always need to be an extraction procedure. Sometimes the dentist may recommend alternative reparative solutions like root canal therapy.
However, from a functional and developmental point of view, the first molars (the first large posterior teeth behind the premolars) are the most important teeth. Teeth play a vital role in the appearance and symmetry of the face. They play a key role in occlusion, or how your jaw closes and lines up.
The first back teeth (molars) typically appear at 12 to 14 months. These are the largest teeth in the mouth and can cause the most discomfort when they erupt. These are followed by the four canine teeth around 18 months and the second molars around two years of age.
The second molars are significant for better chewing. They also help in keeping the health of your jawbone and remaining teeth intact. Even though the people having no second molars can chew comfortably. Still, in the long term, it creates problems like gum disease, decay, trauma, or other related issues.
If a molar is only half-broken, it can usually be fixed in one of two ways. If the break is relatively minor and the edges are still intact, your dentist may be able to bond the broken pieces back together. If the damage is more severe, they may need to use a dental crown or filling material to cover the break.
While it is always preferable to save a tooth, there are times when extraction is a better option. When a tooth is cracked, especially if it is cracked below the gumline, or in several places, an extraction may be required. If the tooth is too weak to be restored, it may also be best to have it pulled.
Even though you may not be able to tell you have a missing molar when you smile, it's essential that you replace it to maintain your quality of life. Without molars: You would find it more difficult to eat: Molars grind your food into pieces that are easy to swallow. Without them, eating would be much more difficult!
Irreparable damage
Infections involve bacteria which will eat away at the entire tooth over time. Once a tooth has been severely decayed, it is often difficult to restore or repair it without an invasive dental procedure. And, if a tooth continues to be infected without treatment, a person's entire mouth is in danger.
If a tooth becomes so damaged that it can no longer be salvaged with root canal treatment and a dental crown, you'll lose the tooth entirely and need to have it replaced with either a bridge or dental implant.
If you're trying to choose between the two options and wondering “which is more painful, a tooth extraction or a filling,” removing a tooth results in a longer period of discomfort compared to a filling procedure.
Thankfully, most of the time, a cracked tooth can be saved. It is vital that you contact your dentist immediately if you think your tooth might be broken, as early detection and quick treatment are very important.
Extraction is usually necessary when the decay is too pervasive to stop and/or the gums are too infected to offer support and structure to your teeth. In these cases all the affected teeth will have to be extracted. If this happens to you, it is crucial that you don't just leave the empty spot alone.
As you can see, dental crowns are highly versatile in terms of how much tooth is needed for their placement. They can be placed when as much as ¾ of the natural tooth has been damaged or decayed, and can also be placed when the tooth is lacking both external and internal support.
In cases where a single dental implant is needed, it can cost about $1,000 to $3,000. The abutment and the crown, however, can add an additional $500 to $3,000. The total expected costs is typically between $1,500 and $6,000.
A lost tooth isn't just bad for your smile, it's bad for your oral health. An empty socket in the gums is at high risk for infection, and the teeth nearest to the gap may shift to “fill in.” Losing multiple teeth only increases the potential long-term damage to your mouth.
Dentures
Dentures are low cost way and cheaper alternative for replacing missing teeth. Dental bridges can be more expensive because in order to replace one tooth you effectively need to pay for three, two abutment teeth (one either side of the gap) and the new pontic (replacement tooth) in the middle.