Does extraction of tooth weaken the surrounding teeth in due course of time?
- Nandini from India
Dear Nandini,
Yes, the extraction of a tooth CAN weaken the tooth next to it, in course of time, but not in every situation.
If the missing tooth is not replaced, the tooth next to the space will typically drift or tip into the space that tooth occupied. This not only disrupts the bite, but it will likely cause unusual bite stresses on this tooth, causing it to weaken.
If the missing tooth is replaced with a bridge, it puts extra stress on the teeth the bridge rests on, which would be the adjacent teeth. If the dental bridge is well constructed and well maintained, those teeth may bear up just fine under that stress, but they may not.
The best way to preserve the health of the adjacent teeth when a tooth is missing is to replace that tooth with a dental implant. This requires no preparation of the adjacent teeth and doesn’t add any stress to other teeth.
Also, the opposing tooth in the other arch can be weakened. For example, if a lower tooth is extracted and no replacement is made, the upper tooth that bites against it can drift downward into that space, which weakens it. Whether or not that happens depends on the particular way your teeth meet.
I hope this is helpful.
This blog sponsored by Cleveland dentist Dr. Brad Hylan
Tags: Dental Bridge, dental implant, weakening adjacent teeth