Several years ago I was told I had minor bone loss in my lower back jaw. The pain went away with increased dental regimen. However, recently I have noticed the tooth becoming looser. I am guessing the dentist will suggest that I remove the tooth. Will this cause my other teeth to space out and will the missing tooth affect my overall bite? It is the very last tooth next to the wisdom tooth I had removed as a teen. Do I HAVE to visit a periodontist?
May 14, 2014
Answer: I Have One Back Tooth That is Loose. I Suspect Bone Disease. If I Have It Removed, Will my Other Teeth Space Out? If So How Soon Yes, I would recommend you see a periodontist to see if there is still something that can be done to keep your loose tooth.If your tooth is loose because of gum (and bone) disease, then at some point your dentist will usually recommend it be removed. It is better to remove it earlier than later, as the longer it goes, the more the bone will be lost as well.And yes, after removing a tooth it should be replaced by either a fixed dental bridge, a dental implant or a removable partial denture. If not, the tooth that opposed the missing tooth will start to migrate into that space, and the teeth on either side of the missing tooth will drift into that space. Thus, throwing off your entire bite.This whole scenario takes a while, usually a few years to become noticeable, so better to make the corrections within the first year of losing the tooth.
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May 14, 2014
Answer: I Have One Back Tooth That is Loose. I Suspect Bone Disease. If I Have It Removed, Will my Other Teeth Space Out? If So How Soon Yes, I would recommend you see a periodontist to see if there is still something that can be done to keep your loose tooth.If your tooth is loose because of gum (and bone) disease, then at some point your dentist will usually recommend it be removed. It is better to remove it earlier than later, as the longer it goes, the more the bone will be lost as well.And yes, after removing a tooth it should be replaced by either a fixed dental bridge, a dental implant or a removable partial denture. If not, the tooth that opposed the missing tooth will start to migrate into that space, and the teeth on either side of the missing tooth will drift into that space. Thus, throwing off your entire bite.This whole scenario takes a while, usually a few years to become noticeable, so better to make the corrections within the first year of losing the tooth.
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May 30, 2013
Answer: Do I have to see a periodontist?
Generally I tell my patients in this situation that if they want to do everything they can to keep their teeth they should see a specialist. It is impossible to diagnose your situation without seeing you. Having said that, I sounds like you will be loosing the second molar and possibly more teeth. Your first priority is getting the disease under control and focus on the teeth you can save while getting rid of those you can't. Once this is done a thorough evaluation of your bite and what it will take to stabilize it is needed. When we loose posterior teeth is can cause opposing teeth to supra erupt, adjacent teeth to drift, and/or a posterior collapse of the bite. This collapse places inordinate amounts of force and strain on the anterior teeth resulting in excessive wear, crowding, splaying of upper anteriors, fracturing etc etc... . One thing to remember, just because you don't have pain does not mean you can't have active periodontal disease.
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May 30, 2013
Answer: Do I have to see a periodontist?
Generally I tell my patients in this situation that if they want to do everything they can to keep their teeth they should see a specialist. It is impossible to diagnose your situation without seeing you. Having said that, I sounds like you will be loosing the second molar and possibly more teeth. Your first priority is getting the disease under control and focus on the teeth you can save while getting rid of those you can't. Once this is done a thorough evaluation of your bite and what it will take to stabilize it is needed. When we loose posterior teeth is can cause opposing teeth to supra erupt, adjacent teeth to drift, and/or a posterior collapse of the bite. This collapse places inordinate amounts of force and strain on the anterior teeth resulting in excessive wear, crowding, splaying of upper anteriors, fracturing etc etc... . One thing to remember, just because you don't have pain does not mean you can't have active periodontal disease.
Helpful