Just as two dancers rely on each other while doing the waltz or foxtrot in a ballroom, your upper and lower teeth need each other in order to chew the food you put in your mouth. Together, they crush, tear and grind food so that you can swallow it in easily digestible pieces.

When a tooth loses its partner, however,  it begins to seek that partner out. This is known as "super-eruption". Like a blind dance partner seeking another one on the dance floor, the lone tooth will reach out, seeking an opposing surface with which to meet. Unless the missing tooth is replaced, the super-erupted tooth could cause chaos in your mouth.

Your Teeth Are Alive

Teeth are living things. This means that they can respond to stimuli and experience sensation, just as you do. When something is too cold or hot, your teeth will let you know by sending you a pain signal. Whilst you are chewing your food, your teeth tell you how much chewing force you need in order to break apart a certain piece of food.

This means they also know when the opposing tooth is no longer where it should be.

Super-Erupted Teeth Disturb Your Bite's Harmony

If a tooth loses its partner, it can no longer serve its purpose. The periodontal ligaments crisscrossing the surface of a tooth's root give it the ability to feel. These ligaments transmit sensory information to the brain, keep the tooth fixed to the alveolar bone and decide how much a tooth needs to move during the eruption process.

When the tooth feels that its partner is missing then, it may erupt and seek that missing partner out. This can cause it to disturb your bite and damage the opposing gum.

A Crown and Dental Implant Are Needed

Super-erupted teeth can be coaxed back into position with orthodontics. However, when a tooth erupts too far and has made chewing your food a painful and inconvenient experience, it may require a more immediate form of treatment. Super-erupted teeth can also be shortened by a cosmetic dentist. The dentist can then add a crown onto the tooth.

The tooth may need a root canal to remove the nerve if the tooth requires substantial reduction. Otherwise, the nerve could be irritated by the crown reduction process. The lost tooth will also need to be replaced. By placing a dental implant where the missing tooth was, you improve the look of your smile and provide the previously super-erupted tooth with a partner.

When you lose a tooth, you essentially lose two teeth because the opposing tooth will no longer be of any use when it comes to chewing your food. You will also lose bone in the area and your bite will become unstable. Return the tooth's dance partner with a dental implant and it will have no need to reach out to blindly search for something that is no longer there. For more information, contact a local cosmetic dentist.