Wellness

[SilleeMee]

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@ilikethebubbly wrote:
Yeah, I read some stuff online and was worried about problems further down the line. I don't care about the missing tooth. I was just wondering if my teeth and jaw would really mess up, or if they are just trying to make $ off of me!

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@ilikethebubbly 

No. The dental pros are giving you the right advice. You can either get the implant right after extraction or have it filled with a graft. Otherwise the chances of problems down the road could occur...bone loss, more loose/shifting teeth and possible extractions b/c of the loose teeth. I know b/c it happened to me.

[AuntG]

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@ilikethebubbly wrote:
Yeah, I read some stuff online and was worried about problems further down the line. I don't care about the missing tooth. I was just wondering if my teeth and jaw would really mess up, or if they are just trying to make $ off of me!

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I have not had to make that decision, but wonder if one missing tooth would cause problems down the road. I guess that my age would factor into whether I had expensive dental work done. If over 70, I think I'd not have an implant. 

[geezerette]

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@ilikethebubbly wrote:
Yeah, I read some stuff online and was worried about problems further down the line. I don't care about the missing tooth. I was just wondering if my teeth and jaw would really mess up, or if they are just trying to make $ off of me!

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An implant is your best option, but it's a personal choice with your own situation to consider.

[Bonkers1]

I had a tooth that was infecting my sinuses. I decided to have an implant.  It was pretty much near the back of my mouth.  I was given the cost which was pretty mighty but 2 things I  didn't realize.  The cost was just to get the tooth ready for the extraction and that they had to wait a year before they could put the implant in to make sure everything healed.  I decided not to get the implant and never looked back.  This was 10 years ago maybe things have changed.  Actually went to the dentist yesterday and everything was fine.

[ilikethebubbly]

I have a consultation with the oral surgeon in a few weeks. Maybe I will find out more about bone graft with implant later. Thanks everyone for chiming in.

[SilleeMee]

@ilikethebubbly 

I had one back molar extracted and didn't have implant put in that one. But the surgeon put in a graft in that empty socket so that I wouldn't lose bone mass in that area of my jaw where there's an implant right next to it. Surgeon said the graft will help keep healthy bone adjacent to the implant and keep the implant from shifting. But even if I didn't have an adjacent implant, the graft helps prevent further accelerated bone loss which naturally happens when teeth are extracted.

ETA-

Bone grafting after extraction is a relatively newer thing. I'm 70 and when I was growing up grafting wasn't being done as part of keeping a strong jaw bone. Grafting became more common later on when implants started to become more popular.

[Meowingkitty]

I had a molar removed when I was a teen. I didn't do anything because my parents couldn't afford a bridge so it stayed empty probably for 15 years. After I became an adult and went to a dentist on a regular basis he told me over time the top teeth will drop down and the others in the area will shift so I had a bridge installed. The bridge lasted a very long time until the back tooth cracked and had to be removed. I then had an implant and it is probably the best thing I've done in a long time. I've had it for 6 years and no issues. 

[piperbay]

I had the same situation as @geezerette  where I had a back molar removed and didn't get the implant. That was about ten years ago.  My teeth didn't shift.

I did get an implant in a front molar but didn't have the money for the last molar. 

[bargainsgirl]

I just had my 4th implant.  Maybe 25 years ago I had a last in the back molar extracted and just left it.  I am now 72 and have not had a single problem.  I would do it again if it was in the very back.  The implants I did have would have been a problem if I did nothing since they were towards the front of my mouth.

[Effie54]

I wouldn't just have a molar out and leave a missing tooth unless it's a back molar with no molar behind it. It looks funky when you smile and your bite will definitely shift. I chose a bridge over an implant for a few reasons. It was too close to my sinuses and I didn't want to,go through a sinus lift (no!), implants are expensive, painful (sometimes) and can fail down the road. I'm happy with my decision.