Knocking out a front tooth would likely ruin just about anyone’s day. But what about when you lose one of your back teeth? You may put off doing something about it for weeks or even months. Though it makes sense as it’s not front-facing, it’s advisable to address the loss of a less visible tooth just as quickly! Read on to learn about the importance of replacing a back tooth that can’t be seenand your options for replacement.

Why Replace a Back Tooth?

Premolars and molars, located at the back of the mouth, are crucial for both dental and overall health. They are key to efficient chewing, which helps break down food for proper digestion.

Losing these teeth can make chewing challenging, potentially leading to malnutrition. Furthermore, improper chewing can put stress on the jaw muscles, causing discomfort, muscle weakness, and even pain in the jaw joints.

What Does a Missing Back Tooth Do Aesthetically?

Having your smile permanently altered can affect your confidence and self-esteem, possibly leading to mental health issues and anxiety in social settings. Also, the jawbone begins to deteriorate around the missing tooth or teeth, which can lead to the shape of your face appearing sunken or aged. A full set of teeth means having a healthy, balanced smile from cheek to cheek and can help restore your self-assurance.

What are the Benefits of Back Teeth Replacement?

Replacing your lost back teeth can improve your dental and overall health in several ways, including:

• Prevent other tooth issues: When you lose a tooth, the surrounding teeth can shift out of alignment, loosen, or suffer from more wear and tear. The gap can trap food and plaque, increasing the chances of decay and gum disease.
• Improve chewing, digestion: The molars are essential to chewing your food properly. Not having all of them can strain the jaw muscles and lead to discomfort and jaw joint pain. What’s more, thoroughly chewing your food makes it easier for your body to digest what you’re taking in and helps to avoid malnutrition.
• Enhance speech ability: Missing back teeth can hinder your ability to produce certain sounds, leading to slurred speech or mispronunciation.
• Prevent jawbone resorption: Some solutions for missing teeth, like dental implants, act as natural tooth roots, stimulating the jawbone and warding off loss of bone mass or density in the jaw.

What are My Options for Tooth Replacement?

You have several alternatives when it comes to replacing one or more teeth:

• Dental implants: If you want to replace the entire tooth from the root up, dental implants are a good solution. Implants are natural-looking and offer a long-lasting solution for the loss of any number of teeth.
• Dentures: Multiple missing teeth can be replaced by partial dentures, a cost-effective and less invasive procedure than implants.
• Bridge: A bridge can replace several adjacent missing teeth by inserting artificials into the gap and anchoring them to the surrounding healthy teeth with crowns.

Though they may not be as visible as your front teeth, your back teeth are important to maintaining your oral and general health. Consult your dentist to see about a proper replacement.

About the Practice

If you’re in need of tooth replacement, the team at Moreno & Young Dental can offer options ranging from partial to All-on-4 dentures to dental bridges. Our ultramodern office is on the cutting edge of dentistry, using instruments like intraoral cameras, digital X-rays, and a CBCT scanner for your safety and convenience. Our office also places implants in-house for your convenience, so patients don’t need a referral to another practice. To schedule an appointment, visit us online or call our office at (360) 676-0642.