for a few yrs now i have a reoccuring bump on my gumline over tooth # 5 bicupsid right top side (sinus was affected some) but now better. main question: after tooth extracted i can’t decide to do bridge as it is alot more expensive and implant is even more… i am deciding towards tooth extraction (smile shows some) but i am more concerned if that’s okay medically speaking. over doing a bridge which is alot more expensive, i trust my dentist but feel like it is so costly and can i do okay with just a tooth extracted – i understand teeth shift and if i bite into a corn chip it could hurt? i am 58 female all my teeth – was told by orthodontist teeth can shift, i am puzzled what to do before i see my dentist. pls help.
- Edie from California
Edie,
The recurring bump on your gums above this tooth tends to indicate that the tooth may be infected and require root canal treatment.
Even though it may be expensive for you, I would strongly recommend doing the root canal and saving this tooth. For a couple of reasons.
You’re talking about tooth #5, which is your first premolar, which is right behind your canine tooth. When you look at yourself in the mirror, you may not be able to see much of this tooth, but it shows very prominently from the side. At some point you may have some innocent child ask you why your tooth is missing, and you may get self-conscious of this. And what I see happen all the time when people become even a little embarrassed about the appearance of their teeth is that they’re hesitant to smile.
And yes, if this tooth is extracted and nothing is put in its place, the teeth around it will drift. Often they tilt, and one missing back tooth can throw your whole bite out of alignment. One possible complication of that would be TMJ disorder. Not only do the teeth next to the empty space drift into it, but the lower tooth will tend to drift upward into the space. And besides affecting your bite, these teeth that drift and tilt tend to have more complications with gum disease .
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