Tooth number 7 is an important tooth on the jaw, taking on the main role of chewing and crushing food. Therefore, if you are unfortunate enough to lose tooth number 7, you should find a way to fix it to improve the chewing process and protect your overall health.
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1. Learn about the position and role of tooth number 7
An adult will have a total of 32 teeth, divided equally between the upper and lower jaws. The teeth in each jaw are further divided into 4 main groups: incisors, canines, premolars and molars.
- The incisors are eight teeth located between the first and second molars, with four in the upper row and four in the lower. The function of the incisors is to bite and tear food into small pieces.
- The canine group has 4 teeth (tooth number 3), including 2 in the upper jaw and 2 in the lower jaw. The function of this group of teeth is to clamp and tear food.
- The premolars (premolars) group consists of 8 teeth at positions 4 and 5, including 4 upper molars and 4 lower molars, used to tear and crush food.
- The molar group (molars) has a total of 12 teeth, which are teeth 6, 7 and 8 (wisdom teeth) with 6 upper molars and 6 lower molars. The main function of the molars is to chew and grind food before it enters the stomach.
In the above groups of teeth, tooth number 7 is in the group of large molars, located between teeth number 6 and number 8, has a fairly large size and complex structure with many roots and root canals.
Unlike other teeth, tooth number 7 does not go through the process of replacing baby teeth but starts growing permanently from the age of 12 and only grows once, so if tooth number 7 is lost, no other tooth will grow to replace it.
The role of tooth number 7: Tooth number 7, along with tooth number 6, is responsible for the main chewing function on the jaw to crush food, supporting the digestive system and the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Thereby improving health and limiting digestive diseases.
Chewing force at tooth number 7 helps stimulate jaw bone development, thereby shaping and stabilizing the jaw bone structure.
2. Consequences of losing tooth number 7
2.1. Effects on the digestive system
As mentioned above, tooth number 7 has the function of chewing and crushing food before it enters the stomach. When a tooth is lost, eating becomes difficult, the chewing and crushing force gradually weakens, causing food to not be crushed before going down to the digestive system. This has a negative effect on the stomach and intestines.
2.2. Causes loss of aesthetics and premature aging
Although tooth number 7 is located inside the jaw, it can still affect aesthetics. Because if tooth number 7 is lost for a long time, from the 3rd month onwards, jaw bone loss will appear. When the jaw bone is lost, the gums will gradually recede, the surrounding muscles will slacken, causing wrinkles and premature aging, making the patient look older than their age.
2.3. Misalignment of other teeth
The loss of tooth number 7 will create a gap in the jaw. If not treated promptly, the adjacent teeth will tend to lean towards the gap, causing misalignment of the teeth and bite, which can lead to paralysis of the jaw muscles and facial deviation.
2.4. Causes oral diseases
The gap at the position of the missing tooth is a favorable environment for harmful bacteria to grow and develop because food is easily trapped but not cleaned thoroughly. This leads to oral diseases such as tooth decay, periodontitis, gingivitis… and harms the remaining teeth.
2.5. Effects on pronunciation ability
The appearance of gaps in the vocal cords more or less affects pronunciation, making it easy to lisp, making it difficult to communicate and learn foreign languages.
2.6. Some other complications
Losing tooth number 7 causes the surrounding teeth to lose support, putting great pressure on the jaw. This causes jaw muscle pain, temporomandibular joint pain, headaches, and neck and shoulder pain.
3. Can I get braces if I lose tooth number 7?
Nowadays, with the advancement and development of modern dental technology, when the upper jaw tooth number 7 or lower jaw tooth number 7 is lost, it can be fixed with braces. In case the patient has grown the wisdom tooth number 8, braces can be used to move the wisdom tooth number 8 into the position of the lost tooth to replace it.
The condition for wisdom teeth to replace tooth number 7 is that the tooth must grow straight, not be deformed and not have any oral diseases. Therefore, not all wisdom teeth meet the requirements. And most of all, not everyone grows wisdom teeth.
In case wisdom teeth cannot be used, the doctor will advise on dental implants to overcome the loss of tooth number 7. Is it necessary to replant the missing tooth number 7? Replanting the lost tooth is considered a perfect solution, helping to restore aesthetics, chewing function and ensure the health safety of the patient. At the same time, it helps support braces better.
Before dental implants, the doctor will conduct an examination and take a CT scan to accurately determine the condition of tooth loss, jaw bone density, etc. Then advise on the most suitable dental implant solution for each patient’s condition.
Currently, there are two popular dental implant solutions that many people are interested in, which are dental implants and porcelain bridges.
- Porcelain bridges are a solution to restore lost teeth chosen by many customers thanks to their reasonable cost, high aesthetics and relatively good chewing ability. However, porcelain bridges require grinding adjacent teeth to make abutments, which can easily weaken these teeth due to frequent chewing activities. In addition, porcelain bridges only restore the upper part, not the lower jaw bone, so bone loss still occurs. After a long time of use, the gums will gradually recede, destroying the abutments, forcing you to restore them.
- Dental Implant is the most advanced dental prosthetic technique today, performed by inserting an artificial tooth root into the jawbone, then connecting it to the Abutment and placing a porcelain crown on top. After completing the procedure, the patient will have a perfect tooth like a real tooth with a complete crown and root. When performing the Implant, the doctor will not grind any of your original teeth, which helps to protect the remaining teeth to the maximum. At the same time, because the Implant has a tooth root, it will avoid jawbone loss and enhance the chewing ability of the entire set of teeth.
In short, tooth number 7 plays a very important role in chewing and crushing food. When tooth number 7 is lost, braces can still be used, but you need to replant the tooth before performing orthodontic treatment to ensure the best results. Therefore, if you are unfortunate enough to lose tooth number 7, you should go to a reputable dental clinic for a doctor to examine, check and advise on the appropriate method. Do not leave it for too long as it will adversely affect your health.
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