How is tooth number 7 related to chewing ability?

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor of Dentistry - Jaw - Face - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Tooth number 7 has a large size and complex structure compared to other teeth. The structure of the upper groove surface and includes 3 roots for tooth number 7 in the upper jaw, 2 roots for the remaining teeth in the lower jaw. Each tooth number 7 usually has 3 canals.
Because of the complex structure, if tooth number 7 is damaged, it is more difficult to restore than other teeth. Tooth number 7 is also a permanent tooth, so it only erupts once and plays the main role of chewing. Besides, tooth number 7 is also prone to oral diseases such as tooth decay, pulpitis ... so it needs careful care.

Each tooth in the jaw has the function of biting, tearing or crushing food. In which, teeth 6 and 7 are two teeth that play an important role in grinding food, helping food to be mixed with enzymes in saliva, thereby making food easier to digest when entering the digestive tract. .
A person's chewing ability is assessed by the chewing coefficient, each tooth in the jaw will be evaluated by a fixed chewing coefficient, in which tooth number 7 has a chewing coefficient of 5, this coefficient is a high coefficient when assessing the chewing ability of each tooth. Therefore, if we unfortunately lose tooth number 7, we will lose 5% x 2 which is 10% of the ability to chew, because tooth number 7 of the opposite jaw also loses function.
7 teeth are very important because they are the main chewing teeth, but because they play an important role in chewing food, teeth 7 often have to come in contact with food, teeth are susceptible to plaque leading to disease. of tooth number 7 more than other teeth.
Because tooth number 7 plays a core role in chewing, so unfortunately suffers from dental diseases, dentists also recommend conservative treatment, unless all measures are taken but cannot be corrected. If you unfortunately lose tooth number 7 for some reason, you are at risk of facing some consequences such as:
Significantly reduced ability to chew food Because the 7th tooth plays the main role of grinding food, when it is lost, the chewing ability of the whole jaw will be reduced. Causing tooth dislocation: When tooth number 7 is lost, teeth 5 and 6 have to take care of chewing, there is a gap between the teeth that will make the teeth easily displaced into the position of the missing teeth. Creating gaps for other teeth to move along, thereby affecting the teeth of the whole jaw. Alveolar bone loss: Due to the chewing force, the new alveolar bone develops, when the tooth is lost, the chewing force is uneven. The jawbone where the tooth is lost will disappear as a natural elimination. This leads to loss of jaw support, sagging skin, and aging.

3.1 Conservative treatment
When tooth number 7 suffers from a number of diseases such as chipping, decay, trauma... not enough to remove the tooth, the doctor will prescribe a number of measures to preserve the tooth such as: :
In case tooth 7 has decay or minor trauma, the amount of missing tooth tissue is not too large and has not affected the pulp, usually a filling is indicated. In case of tooth decay, severe trauma, loss of more than 50% of the crown or the pulp is affected, the doctor usually prescribes porcelain crowns to preserve the teeth. 3.2 Treatment when tooth number 7 is lost
In case tooth number 7 is seriously injured and cannot be treated conservatively, it is imperative to remove the tooth and advise the patient on an appropriate replanting solution. Some measures can be used when losing tooth number 7 such as:
Removable denture Dentures are made to look like real teeth. With this type of removable denture, the patient can easily remove it when eating or cleaning. However, removable dentures are usually only applied to older people, losing a group of teeth in a row or losing all teeth in the jaw will create more solidity and balance.
This method is not necessarily optimal for tooth number 7, because it does not guarantee good chewing ability, but tooth number 7 holds the main chewing task.
Porcelain bridge is a form of using a bridge consisting of 3 porcelain crowns connected together. The middle teeth will replace all the missing teeth, the 2 adjacent porcelain crowns are responsible for supporting the bridge abutment. Therefore, the minimum requirement to make a strong bridge is that the 2 teeth adjacent to the missing tooth must be healthy and free of oral disease.
However, this method is also rarely chosen to overcome the loss of tooth number 7 because:
In case if tooth number 8 has not yet erupted, tooth number 7 will be the innermost tooth, not guaranteeing the next tooth to do. bridge. Not only that, but teeth 6 and 7 both play the main chewing role. If tooth number 7 is lost, chewing focuses on tooth number 6, if you make a bridge, you have to reduce the pulp of tooth number 6, so it both affects chewing power and makes the tooth weak quickly. Dental implant This is the most optimal form of tooth loss at the present time. Dental implant teeth have a structure similar to physiological teeth, when implanted, they can restore almost normal chewing function, but the advantage is that it does not affect other teeth in the jaw, can stand independently and Importantly, it is possible to limit the condition of alveolar bone loss.
When applying a dental implant to replace the lost tooth number 7, the root part will be replaced with an implant post. The crown is replaced with a porcelain crown and crowned on top. The lifespan of teeth is relatively long, maybe 15-20 years or longer.
7 teeth are one of the molars with the main chewing function of the jaw, but because of that, they are also at risk of dental disease more than other teeth. Regular proper dental care and regular dental check-up is the best measure to help limit the pathology of tooth No. 7.
Dental - Jaw - Facial Specialist - Vinmec International General Hospital specializes in examination and treatment Treat all common dental problems in adults and children. The hospital has a team of qualified doctors and dentists and a system of advanced machinery to help support the examination process well and shorten the time.
Therefore, when there is any problem, you can go to the hospital to be checked for appropriate instructions from a specialist doctor. Avoiding leaving for a long time will affect the structure and aesthetics of the teeth.

Reference source: alisadental.com