Losing a tooth due to disuse

November 14, 2007 6:47 AM

I got a molar removed near where my wisdom teeth used to be, however there's still one tooth back there, which barely gets used because I don't chew back there anymore (since there's a gap). Are there potential complications because my tooth is not being used much?

Sometimes I try to change it up and chew gum or a piece of food back there, and I find that it's sensitive.

posted by philosophistry to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

I had one dentist tell me that my sole wisdom tooth needed to be removed as it would keep growing. As she put it, this was due to the fact that I didn't use it to chew and it didn't come in to contact with other teeth. I decided to keep the tooth figuring I might get a tusk out of the deal. YMMV
posted by bkeene12 at 7:02 AM on November 14, 2007 [5 favorites]

It might start to fall over - if there's a gap, there's no neighboring tooth to support it, so over time that tooth can gradually tilt. This in turn could cause complications with your bite.

I have this but - like bkeene12 - I elected to keep mine: I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
posted by forallmankind at 7:42 AM on November 14, 2007

Speaking as someone who has all of her wisdom teeth (they came in during college when I had no insurance. Teething is a bitch) I often don't use them, but have to make sure to keep them clean. I've found battery operated tooth brushes work best as the heads are smaller than hand-powered brushes and will actually get to the hard to reach places.

I'm also dubious about teeth continuing to grow...
posted by Constant Reader at 8:53 AM on November 14, 2007

Your dentist can use that tooth as an anchor for a bridge that fills the gap.
posted by hortense at 9:16 AM on November 14, 2007

I will go out of a limb here and say that you might not be happy with a bridge. They are not permanent. You might consider a tooth implant instead. I'd consult with your dentist about this.
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 9:26 AM on November 14, 2007

Over time, a tooth which does not have a tooth to bite against will super-erupt, meaning it comes up(or down) from its socket, resulting in a longer tooth in the mouth and shorter roots holding it in place. That tooth may also drift and lean forward, not closing the space but encroaching enough that placing a single tooth implant may not be able to be done without addressing with orthodontics or severely cutting that tooth down to fit under a crown. A good dentist will not want to crown a tooth that leans severely, although you can get away with a leaning root as part of a bridge.

If this were me, the best/first option is placing an implant in the gap and restoring with a single crown. If either or both of the teeth on either side of the space were uncrowned, but had large enough fillings that a crown would be needed at some point in the future, I'd go for a fixed three unit bridge. And keep my home care impeccable.
posted by Jazz Hands at 9:45 AM on November 14, 2007

Forgot to address the sensitivity. Has it been long since the extraction? You could just have some root exposure that had been protected with the missing tooth. If it is sensitive to sucking air in or cold liquids, I'd buy a tube of sensitive toothpaste and dab the paste onto the sensitive area and let it soak in.
posted by Jazz Hands at 9:48 AM on November 14, 2007

Response by poster: Yeah, I don't want a bridge because I'm afraid I'd have so much trouble cleaning it, that I'd eventually cause an infection there.

I also don't want an implant for the cost and also the potential for complication.

I'd rather have something I can wear at night to prevent the tilting.

Oh well. I think if it gets crazy, I'll just get it removed, and have two missing teeth back there. After all, it's not like I'm chewing on that tooth.
posted by philosophistry at 5:54 PM on November 14, 2007