Just imagine firing up your kitchen blender, only to realize a blade is missing or damaged–well, your recipe wouldn’t come out right, would it? So it is with missing molars. The 12 teeth located on the upper and lower jaw in the back of our mouths next to our cheeks deserve our loyalty. They work hard.

The adult mouth houses 32 permanent teeth, consisting of the following teeth types:

• 4 third molars (also called wisdom teeth)
• 4 second molars (also called 12-year molars)
• 4 first molars (also called 6-year molars)
• 4 second bicuspids (also called second premolars)
• 4 first bicuspids (also called first premolars)
• 4 cuspids (also called canine or eye teeth)
• 4 lateral incisors
• 4 central incisors

You might be tempted to think that with an even dozen, your mouth won’t miss a couple of teeth–and after all–since they are way in the back, they won’t be seen either, especially when you smile, so what’s the big deal?

Well, the big deal is that nature intended for your molars to grind and crush your food. The front teeth are meant for shearing food–biting and tearing it. When you press on the incisors in the front  to do the back teeth’s work, you will wind up with loose and accelerated wear on them. Eventually, your smile will suffer, due to flaring of the front teeth. This causes increasing gaps between the teeth, which will involve timely and costly procedures to provide posterior support.

So, do you see now that missing molars, which are designed to grind and support your bite can mess up your entire mouth and affect your oral health? Lower molars are relatively easy areas for implant placement and the benefits they offer for chewing and restoring function are worth the investment. Wisdom teeth are not typically recommended to be replaced since most people don’t have room for them anyway.

How do you choose the right dental implant?  There are hundreds of dental implant companies out there. Watch this video to find out.

In great health,
Dr. Sanda

Are you in need of dental implants? Contact Dr. Sanda Moldovan to schedule a consultation.