People often tend to neglect the teeth in the back of the mouth and instead prioritise maintaining the appearance of their front teeth. But did you know that your back teeth actually help improve your quality of everyday life? Though your back molars are not exactly visible, they have an incredibly vital function and help maintain overall dental health.
Why Are Back Teeth Important?
Our back teeth are equally as important as all the other teeth in our mouth and have several crucial functions. Without them, basic things such as chewing and speaking can be really difficult. Below are some benefits of having back teeth and why you must never neglect to replace them if they are missing.
1. Help With Chewing
The back molars are our largest teeth and they are made with thicker enamel than that of our front teeth. This feature makes them good shock absorbers, so they are capable of withstanding the force used for chewing and grinding food.
Back teeth also help produce an even bite, reducing the strain on your jaw and alleviating extra pressure on your front teeth. Eating without back molars can eventually deteriorate the quality of your remaining teeth, causing chips and cracks in the enamel of your remaining teeth.
2. Prevent Oral & Overall Health Risks
We tend to chew food with the help of our back molars. Sometimes, if you are missing these teeth in the back, food particles can easily get stuck in the gap. This can very quickly turn into a breeding ground for bacteria and plaque build-up, which leads to cavities, gum disease and dental infections.
In some instances, these issues caused by poor oral hygiene can lead to more serious health issues, such as heart disease. All these issues can easily be avoided though by taking good care of your back teeth and replacing them if they are missing.
3. Prevent Jaw Stiffness & Pain
Back teeth can help evenly distribute the food in your mouth while chewing. If your back teeth are missing, you may tend to chew on one side of your mouth, applying uneven pressure on your jaw joints. This can cause stiffness and pain. Having back teeth can prevent this pain from developing in the first place.
4. Keep Other Teeth From Shifting
Your back teeth provide enough pressure to keep the rest of your teeth in line. In the absence of a back tooth, your nearby teeth will slowly begin to shift towards the gap. Without the support of your back tooth, these remaining teeth may change their direction of growth, causing them to either tilt, tip or migrate into the vacant space. This can trigger the rest of your teeth to follow in the same direction, leading to a mouth filled with crooked teeth.
5. Maintain Facial Structure
Interestingly, even though your back teeth are not the ones that are visible when you speak or smile, they can very easily impact your overall appearance. In the absence of back teeth, your jawbone begins to slowly deteriorate and shrink away. In this process, your facial bones that are usually supported by the jawbone will also begin to shift. This can lead to sunken cheeks and make you appear aged.
What to Do If You Are Missing Back Teeth?
Most adults have 12 molars, including four wisdom teeth. Sometimes, wisdom teeth can cause discomfort due to injury, disease or partial eruption which causes the tooth to be impacted. In all these instances, it often leaves us with no choice but to extract the tooth.
After extracting the back teeth, people are not usually in a hurry to replace them since they are in the back of the mouth. However, as we have seen above, our back teeth are very important and failing to replace these teeth can cause several complications in the long run.
There are many ways to fix these problems, including dental bridges and implants. However, one of the best solutions for missing back molars is to get partial dentures for your back teeth. Partial dentures consist of replacement teeth fitted onto a gum-coloured base. This blends with your existing gums and fills up gaps.
Partial dentures for back teeth can do wonders to improve your speech and confidence. They are robust and can withstand the force of chewing while also providing the needed support to keep your cheeks looking full and lively. The removable feature of these dentures also makes it easier to clean and maintain them.
How We Can Help?
Your dental solution depends upon your unique needs. As denture experts, Direct Denture Care understands this completely. Our team has the skills and experience to offer you personalised solutions. We pride ourselves on our high quality of service we provide to all our patients. If you are looking to get fitted for dentures in Perth, feel free to call us on (08) 9440 1540 to book an appointment today!
