The Power Grinders: A Closer Look at Your Molars

What Exactly Are Molars and Why Do I Have Them?

You ever think about the different tooths in your mouth? In the front are the sharp incisors for cutting food and the pointy canines for tearing it. But in the back is the big ones. Those are your molars. They is like the big machines for your mouth. They not made for fancy cutting. Their job is to crush, grind, and smash up food so you can swallow and eat it good. They are why you can eat a hard steak or a crunchy apple.

You get a few sets of them on your life. When you a kid you has eight baby molars. Then when you get bigger, your adult molars come. Most grown ups has twelve molars. There is three on each side of your top and bottom jaws. We call them the first, second, and third molars. That third molar is the one you probably know as the wisdom tooth. These teeth are real hard workers and their big flat tops are made perfect for the hard job of chewing.

Have You Ever Wondered What Your Molars Are Made Of?

Your molars look like simple white blocks but they are not so simple. Lets look at the parts. On the very outside is the enamel. Enamel is the hardest stuff in your whole body. It’s even more hard than your bones. Its main job is to keep the soft parts inside the tooth safe from chewing every day and from bad germs. It is your tooth’s own bodyguard.

Under that hard enamel shield is a layer called dentin. Dentin is a yellow bone-like stuff that is most of the tooth. It’s not hard like enamel and it has tiny tubes in it that go right to the tooth’s nerve part. And what is in the very middle? We call it the pulp. The pulp are the soft, living part of your tooth. It’s full of nerve and blood vessel. This is where the tooth get its food and it’s also the part that send those big pain messages when a problem happens.

Are My Molars Really That Important for Chewing?

Let me tell you a story. Some years ago, I got a temporary crown put on my molar. The dentist say not to chew on that side for some days. I think, "No problem, how hard can that be?" It was being super hard. Trying to eat just a sandwich was a big problem. I had to smash the food with my front teeth and it didn’t work good. It made me see how much I need my molars and I don’t even think about it.

Your molars is the last step of chewing. Your front teeth bite and tear off a small piece of food. Then your tongue push that food back to the grinders. The big bumpy tops of your molars fit together to mash that food into a soft paste we call a bolus. This is a very important first step for your body to break down food. When food is mashed up good, your stomach can break it down more easy and get all the good stuff from it. With no molars, you’d have some big problems with digestion.

What Kinds of Problems Can My Molars Have?

Because they do so much hard work, molars can get certain problems. The main bad guy is tooth decay, or what we call cavities. The deep lines on the tops of your molars is perfect hiding places for food bits and germs. If you don’t clean them, that germs make acid that eats your enamel and makes a hole. You might not see a small cavity, but if you don’t fix it, it can get more deep.

Another big problem is a cracked tooth. Sometimes the big power of biting on something hard like a popcorn or ice can make a small crack in a molar. These cracks can be so little they dont even show on an X-ray but they can make a sharp pain when you bite. And we should remember wisdom teeth. Because they come in last they often have no room. This can make them impacted, which mean they get stuck and can’t come out right. An impacted wisdom tooth can make pain, hurt other teeth, and even make you sick with infections.

Why Does My Molar Hurt So Much?

Not many pains are as bad and strong as a bad toothache. Did you ever stay awake all night from a beating pain in your jaw? It’s real bad. The reason molar pain can be so bad is because of that pulp part inside I told you about. Remember, the pulp is a bunch of nerves and blood vessels hidden inside the hard outside parts of the tooth. It’s protected good for a reason.

When a cavity gets through the enamel and the dentin, it let germs get to the pulp. The pulp get angry and big. But here is the problem. It’s stuck inside a hard box. It has no place to go. The pressure get bigger and bigger, and that pressure on the nerve is what makes the super bad, beating pain. The same can happen if a tooth have a crack. The crack can let germs in, or it can move and bother the nerve every time you bite. That’s your body’s warning system telling you something is very wrong.

How Can I Keep My Power Grinders Healthy?

The good news are that you can stop most molar problems. It’s not hard but you must do it all the time. The answer starts with the simple things you learn as a kid. You have to brush your teeth two times a day for two minutes. Don’t just rub back and front. Make soft circles and be sure you get all the sides of your molars, even the sides by your cheek and tongue.

But only brushing is not enough. I learn this the hard way. For many years I thought I was a good brusher, but I still got cavities between my teeth. That’s because a toothbrush can not get to those tight spots. That’s what flossing is for. You need to floss one time a day to clean the plaque and food out from between your molars. Last, go to your dentist often for check-ups and cleanings. Your dentist can see problems when they are little and easy to fix, way before they hurt. A professional cleaning is the only way to get off hard plaque called tartar.

What Happens If My Molar Cracks or Breaks?

So you bit on something hard and heard a bad crunch sound. Now a piece of your molar is gone or you have a sharp pain each time you chew. No need to worry. This happens a lot and your dentist has good ways to fix it. What they do is depending on how bad it is. For a little chip, your dentist maybe can smooth it or fix it with a simple filling that is the same color as your tooth.

For a bigger crack or break, the best thing is often a dental crown. A crown is like a special helmet that fit right over your hurt tooth. It protect the tooth from more damage and makes it work and look right again. Your dentist will get the tooth ready, take a mold or a computer scan, and then send it to a special lab. A professional crown and bridge lab uses that model to make a crown that fit your tooth perfect. The crown is then glued on, and you have a strong, healthy tooth again.

Can a Missing Molar Really Cause Trouble?

Say a molar is too hurt to save and must be pulled out. You might think "It’s in the back, nobody can see it. What is the big problem?" I used to think that also. But leaving a space where a molar was is a very bad idea. It can start many problems that can mess up your whole mouth. Your teeths are a team. They help each other and keep each other in the right place.

When you lose a molar, the teeth next to the space will start to move into the empty spot. The tooth on top or bottom of it will also move because it have nothing to bite on. This moving can mess up your whole bite. It can give you problems with your jaw joint, which is called TMJ. It can make chewing more hard and can even change how your face look after a while. A simple space can become a big dental problem later.

What Are My Options for Replacing a Lost Molar?

Lucky for us, we live in a time with great dental stuff. You don’t must live with a space in your smile. The best way to fix a missing molar is usually a dental implant. An implant is a little titanium post that is put in your jawbone with an operation, where the tooth root was. Then the bone heal around the implant and this makes a strong base.

When the implant is in place, your dentist works with an implant dental laboratory to make a nice new tooth for the top. This new tooth, it is a kind of crown, is put on the implant. You get a new tooth that look, feel, and works just like a real one. The technology now is so good that a modern zirconia lab can make a crown from very strong stuff that is hard to see it’s not a real teeth. Other choices are a dental bridge, which use the teeth on both sides of the space to hold it. Your dentist can help you choose what is the best for you.

How Can I Protect My Molars for a Lifetime?

Keeping your molars safe is something you do your whole life, but it gives you a healthy smile with no pain. More than just daily brushing and flossing, there is a few other things you can do. If you play sports, think about wearing a mouthguard. A special mouthguard from your dentist give the best protection from a bad injury that could chip or knock out a tooth.

If you grind your teeth at night, a problem called bruxism, you are putting lots of pressure on your molars. This can make cracks, wear them down, and give you jaw pain. Your dentist can make you a special night guard. It’s a simple plastic thing you wear when you sleep. It wont stop the grinding, but it gives a cushion for your teeth and protects them from the power. For kids and even some grown ups, dental sealants can be a great way to stop problems. A sealant is a thin plastic coat that is painted on the chewing tops of the molars. It keep food and germs out of those deep lines, and stops cavities before they even start.

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Key Takeaways

I know we talked about a lot. So lets make it simple so you remember the most important things about your power grinders.

• Your Molars Are Very Important: They smash your food, which is the first step for good digestion.
• Keep Them Clean: Good brushing and daily flossing is not a choice, you must do it.
• Don’t Ignore Pain: Pain is your body’s warning. If a molar hurt, see your dentist fast. A small problem is always more easy and cheap to fix than a big one.
• Fix Hurt Teeth: A cracked or broke molar need to be protected. A dental crown can save the tooth and fix your bite.
• Replace Missing Teeth: Don’t leave a space where a molar was. Replacing it with an implant or a bridge will stop other teeth from moving and making bigger problems later.
• Think Ahead: Go to the dentist often, and use sealants and mouthguards. They are all simple ways to help you protect your molars for a whole life of happy chewing.