Replacing Back Teeth

Molars and back teeth are usually the first to go. They are more difficult to clean, almost impossible to floss, and do the lion’s share of the work when it comes to chewing and grinding food into pulp. They are also the teeth most affected by bruxism and during accidents, when the teeth bang together.

These factors make them much more likely candidates for tooth decay; they get infected more often, and have more root canals and crowns on them then their front counterparts. And they are thus more likely to be extracted as well, and although most patients don’t do it, they also need to be replaced as soon as possible after tooth extraction.

Why molars need to be replaced

Although they are not visible when you smile and thus missing molars pose no real aesthetic problems to patients, replacing missing teeth is primarily not an aesthetic decision, but a medical one. Molars need to be replaced, because missing teeth lead to more missing teeth, as the alveolus is weakened by not having a tooth root in it. Aside from this, a gap in the molars means you will have to chew entirely on one side of your face, as you will not be able to chew properly with a missing tooth, and this means one side of your jaw has to now do all of the work. This will lead to an even higher chance of tooth decay and tooth failure on the side now in constant use, and will result in TMJ or jaw joint problems from improper use and from chewing on side, which can affect your back, neck and head as well.

Which crowns are best for molars

When replacing the back teeth, the most economical solution is to use traditional metal based dental crowns. These will look and appear just like real teeth, as they have a porcelain outer shell, and as they will not be visible, you will not need to get more aesthetic dental crowns, like zirconium or full porcelain dental crowns, as they will hardly ever be visible. All of the dental crowns have the same outer shell, which is tooth coloured porcelain, so they will all last for roughly the same amount of time, and be just as durable.