Should Missing Molars Be Replaced?

It’s exciting when permanent teeth start growing in! This is healthy development for your growing child. Ideally, these teeth last for a lifetime. But there are several unfortunate reasons why these teeth might not last as long as desired. For example, a dental injury during sports or an untreated cavity or infection can result in severe tooth damage and loss.

If you have a missing front tooth, you likely wouldn’t think twice about the value of quickly replacing it to fill in the gap in your smile. In contrast, molars are all the way in the back of the mouth and can’t be as readily seen so you may feel unhurried about replacing one that is missing.

Difficulty with Chewing

Molars are the workhorse of teeth, doing all of the grinding and mashing of food that’s necessary for swallowing and digestion. With one of these large back teeth missing, you may find a significant difference in how easy it is for you to chew foods, particularly hard foods. Replacing a missing molar means giving full function back to your mouth and improving your digestion.

Shifting Teeth

As we age, our teeth are constantly moving, even though the movement might be very slow and not noticeable on a day-to-day basis. If you have an empty space where a tooth once was, the other teeth near that gap will naturally shift into that place. That means one missing tooth, including a molar, can affect the entirety of your smile alignment! This means the aesthetics of your smile can change, as well as your ability to chew and speak.

Tooth Replacement in Jonesboro

If you have a missing molar that needs replacing, contact Wagner & Langston Family Dentistry. Our Jonesboro office offers a variety of tooth replacement options, including dental implants and dental bridges. Our team would be happy to help you figure out which treatment is right for your smile.

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Categorized in: Restorative Dental Care