Dr. Stuti

According to studies, the majority of the world population has at least one missing tooth, when it comes to dental health. Usually, one of the back teeth is missing. Most people do not care about a missing tooth as it is not visible and does not affect one's image. However, a missing back tooth is a matter of concern, and it matters. This is because of the tooth's function and also because bone loss occurs when a back tooth is lost.

Wisdom Tooth: Wisdom tooth or 3rd molar extraction The wisdom teeth, also known as the third molars, are the final set of molars to erupt. Not everyone keeps these teeth, nor are they necessary for having a healthy, beautiful smile. In fact, they can cause harm if they do not come in properly. When these molars come in, usually between the ages of 16 and 20, there may not be enough room left for them to erupt. As a result, they can emerge at an angle, they may crowd the mouth and sometimes they don't fully emerge. This can lead to future oral health problems like infections and pain. So, it should be extracted.

Effects of a lost back tooth: A lost back tooth should not be ignored, even though it did not cause you much inconvenience initially. The problems start occurring slowly and when they reach a fatal stage, a lot of dental problems are likely to occur. A lost tooth causes several problems and damage to your oral health and appearance if you leave it unattended. 

Here are the negative effects of a lost back tooth:

1. The alveolar bone, which surrounds the teeth requires a good amount of regular stimulation for maintaining health. The lack of stimulation will slowly make the bone waste away.
2. With a missing back tooth, the bone width is likely to decrease by 25% within a year and will continue decreasing with the passage of time.
3. The bone loss which occurs due to a missing back tooth will also cause problems in chewing food, and the back molars are designed especially for chewing and grinding food. Your speech will also be affected because of a missing back tooth.
4. Extensive bone loss can even lead to negative changes in the facial shape. The facial shape also collapses in some cases. This will affect your appearance and will lead to low self-esteem and self-confidence.

Dental Implants: an ideal remedy for a lost back tooth: The best remedy for a missing back tooth is to get a dental tooth implant. Dental implants work effectively to maintain the bone structure. This is because the implants are fused directly into the bone. The bone can function properly and stay healthy after a dental implant is fused into it. You should consult a dentist to choose the best type of dental implant to replace your lost back tooth. Once the implant is installed, your dental functioning will return to normal soon. Little time is required to get adjusted to the implant.

If a back tooth is lost, you will surely miss it. A lost back tooth can affect your overall dental health, may cause bone loss and can even change your facial shape. Dental tooth implants should be used to replace a lost back tooth for maintaining good dental health.

Diabetes is a chronic, systemic disease and affects all parts of the body. While its effect on the nerves, eyes, kidneys, and skin is more common, their oral effects are less known. However, diabetes will vouch how they lost tooth and have dry mouth after their sugars went out of control.

1. Oral Symptoms in Diabetics: There is a strong correlation between oral health and poorly controlled blood sugars. Some of the common oral indications of diabetes are as follows.
2. Dry Mouth: There is less amount of saliva, which brings with it a whole lot of symptoms including soreness of the mucosa, ulcers, increased chances of infection, gum inflammation and tooth decay.
3. Thrush: The saliva has higher sugar levels and attracts fungus (Candida in particular) which thrives in this dry, sugary environment. This produces a burning sensation in the mouth.
4. Periodontal Disease: The gums get severely infected with gingival recession, where the gum line recedes exposing more of the tooth (tooth length seems to have increased). There is “pocket” formation, or space between the tooth and the gum which hosts a variety of bacteria. The periodontal ligament loses its strength to hold the tooth in place, and thereby teeth become mobile. If not worked upon in time, there could be multiple teeth lost.

As much as it sounds alarming, it is not. There are easy, simple ways to manage these. In fact, good overall management of diabetes will ensure the oral symptoms are also maintained under control. Following are some things to do which will help in managing diabetes in general and the oral symptoms in particular:

As soon as diabetes is diagnosed, visit a dentist to take stock of the oral health condition. Any identified problem should be treated to avoid progression.

1. Keep a close watch to ensure blood sugar remains as close to normal as possible.

2. Switch to a toothbrush with soft or extra-soft bristles. This will help reduce the pressure on the gums and thereby prevent gum bleeding

3. After every meal, remember to brush the teeth.

4. Flossing at least once a day will help remove food deposits between the teeth. Alternately, use interdental brushes.

5. Rinse at least twice daily using an antiseptic mouthwash.

6. Denture-wearers should always clean them daily and never go to sleep with the denture in the mouth.

7. Smoking with diabetics is a strict no-no, work on quitting at the earliest.

8. Visit a dentist every 3 months to ensure oral issues are identified at the earliest and treatment done with minimal intervention.

9. Any dental procedure should be done only when sugar levels are under control.

These will ensure not just oral health but also overall control of diabetes.