Losing a bottom molar threw me off way more than my wisdom teeth ever did. I had all four wisdoms out in one go (not fun, but at least it was over fast), and honestly, the recovery was mostly just annoying—chipmunk cheeks, soft foods, and a lot of Netflix. But when I lost my lower left molar a year later, that was a whole different beast. Chewing felt so weird, and I kept biting my tongue or the inside of my cheek for weeks. The gap just messed with my bite, and I swear my other teeth started shifting almost immediately. I guess you don’t realize how much you rely on those big back teeth until they’re gone.
I’m in braces now, and my ortho warned me that missing a molar can cause all sorts of shifting if you don’t get it replaced. I didn’t think it’d be a big deal at first, but now I totally get why they push implants or bridges. Even now, months later, my tongue still pokes at that spot without me even realizing it. It’s like my brain’s still trying to figure out what’s missing.
I will say, the pain from my wisdom teeth was worse right after surgery, but the long-term annoyance of losing a molar is way higher. At least with wisdom teeth, you can just heal and move on. With a missing molar, you keep dealing with it every time you eat. I’ve got a temporary spacer now, but I’m counting down the days until I can get an implant and actually chew like a normal person again. Chewing on one side only is just... not it.
Anyway, I feel you on the crater thing. It’s wild how fast your mouth adapts, but also how stubborn those habits are.
I kept biting my tongue or the inside of my cheek for weeks. The gap just messed with my bite, and I swear my other teeth started shifting almost immediately.
Totally relate to this. When I lost a lower molar, I thought it’d be no big deal, but the shifting was real. It’s wild how one missing tooth throws everything off—my jaw even started clicking a bit. Wisdom teeth were a pain (literally), but at least you don’t miss them when you chew. The tongue thing is so true too... mine still wanders over to that gap out of habit. Implants seem like a hassle until you realize how much function you lose without that tooth.
It’s wild how one missing tooth throws everything off—my jaw even started clicking a bit.
That jaw clicking is exactly what happened to me after I had a premolar pulled. At first, I figured it’d just heal up and settle, but my bite got weird fast. My orthodontist explained that teeth naturally drift into empty spaces, which messes with alignment. With wisdom teeth, I barely noticed a difference in chewing, but losing a “main” tooth changed everything—my tongue kept poking at the gap and I started chewing more on one side. Implants seemed like overkill, but now I kind of get why they push for them.
my tongue kept poking at the gap and I started chewing more on one side
That’s exactly what happened to me after losing a molar. It’s like your whole mouth gets thrown off balance, and suddenly you’re hyper-aware of every little thing in there. I thought I could just “get used to it,” but nope—my jaw started clicking too, and then my dentist started talking about implants. I used to think they were just trying to upsell, but honestly, chewing on one side all the time messed up my TMJ way more than I expected. Wisdom teeth never gave me this much grief... Funny how you don’t miss ‘em till they’re gone.
Losing a molar totally threw me off too. I kept thinking my tongue would eventually “forget” about the gap, but nope—it’s like it became its own weird habit. I also started chewing mostly on one side, and my jaw got sore after a few weeks. I didn’t realize how much that would mess with things until my orthodontist pointed out my bite was shifting. I kind of underestimated how much a single missing tooth could change everything. Wisdom teeth were a pain, but at least when they’re gone, nothing really shifts around. Regular teeth are a whole different story.
