Teeth sometimes need to be extracted due to infection or irreparable damage. However, as any dentist will tell you, extracted teeth should be replaced within 12 months. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, wisdom teeth do not need to be replaced; in fact, their removal is beneficial to the rest of the mouth. Baby teeth (primary teeth) too need not be replaced as they will later make way for permanent teeth anyway. But in general, you would be well-advised to seek to replace an extracted tooth as soon as possible.
You might not always be able to replace a tooth immediately due to financial constraints or other commitments. However, doing nothing at all could cost you in the long run. It could even cost you one or more teeth.
Your Teeth Support Each Other
Teeth are constantly on the move, throughout a person's life. As people age, the structure of their face changes, and teeth constantly adapt to these changes by moving. One such movement is referred to as "mesial drift" which occurs gradually throughout a person's lifetime. Teeth slowly move toward the centre of the mouth in order to maintain closeness with the adjacent teeth.
However, not all movement is beneficial. Your teeth are able to sense pressure via the periodontal ligament which envelops the roots of your teeth. As your teeth age and wear, your bite gradually changes. This changes the way your teeth meet when you chew or bite down on something. Your teeth sense this change and adapt to it by moving just enough to realign your bite. However, when an opposing tooth is extracted, this ability can backfire, leading to super-eruption.
Super-Eruption Can Cost You Teeth
When a tooth is extracted, the opposing tooth feels the change and tries to adapt. In an effort to keep your bite aligned, the tooth moves and essentially reaches out for its missing partner. Obviously, the partner is no longer present. What then happens is that the tooth continues to reach, pushed by the bone, into the space left by the extracted tooth. This is called super-eruption. The tooth itself doesn't grow. Only the bone does. This means that eventually, the root of the super-erupted tooth becomes exposed, and is then susceptible to tooth decay.
While teeth are protected by enamel, which is harder than bone, their roots are not. Millions of bacteria thrive in the human mouth, some of them known to cause tooth decay. The acids they produce can very quickly eat through the unprotected roots, leading to infection and eventual death of the tooth.
If you have put off replacing an extracted tooth, it's time to start exploring your teeth replacement options. Even if you cannot currently afford a dental implant, which is the most recommended tooth-replacement treatment, there are other less costly options available to you.
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