A Hole in a Molar, Candidly Explained: Must-Read for Those Who Delayed Due to Dental Anxiety

Hello.

I am the director of Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic.

"There’s a hole in my tooth.

Can this just be filled?"

When you notice a hole in a tooth while looking in the mirror, you probably feel frightened right away.

Unfortunately, many people who come to the dentist come to realize too late that

"What you can see is not everything."

Today, along with a heartbreaking case in which severe decay led to tooth extraction,

I’ll explain why the 'right timing' for cavity treatment matters.

A tooth that looked fine on the outside but was hollow inside, a patient case treated with an implant A hole in a molar, candidly explained: Must-read for those who delayed due to dental anxiety

The patient noticed that the hole in the upper left molar (#26) was gradually getting bigger,

but because of extreme dental anxiety, they delayed visiting for years.

During that time, they put up with the discomfort and mainly ate only on the right side,..

Now even the lower right molar (#47), which they had trusted, began to loosen, so they could no longer endure it and came to our clinic.

1. Upper left molar (#26)

Looking inside the mouth, the tooth had already been significantly worn down by decay.

From the X-ray, the condition was even more serious.

The decay had penetrated much deeper than it appeared, leaving only the outer surface barely intact

with the inside completely hollow.

2. Lower right molar (#47)

What required closer attention was the lower right tooth, which did not appear to have a large cavity on the surface.

On the X-ray, a significant amount of bone around the tooth had been lost,

and the tooth was in a state where it was unstably floating above the jawbone.

If left like this, the inflammation could spread to nearby teeth, putting even healthy teeth at risk.

Treatment plan A hole in a molar, candidly explained. Must-read for those who delayed due to dental anxiety

As a result of the diagnosis, both the upper and lower teeth were considered too difficult to save, so we decided to proceed with implants after extraction.

However, both areas lacked enough bone to place implants, so bone grafting was absolutely necessary.

Upper side (#26): Sinus lift surgery

Inside the upper jaw is an empty air pocket called the "maxillary sinus."

To place an implant firmly, a bone height of at least 7–8 mm is needed,

but in this patient, the bone had resorbed and only 5.7 mm remained.

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In such cases, the thin sinus membrane is carefully lifted,

and a "sinus lift" procedure is needed to fill in bone up to the required height.

Lower side (#47): Proximity to the nerve canal

The lower right side also showed on CT that the bone had resorbed almost right up to the nerve canal.

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There was almost no bone left to support the implant,

so in this case, bone grafting must be performed first to create an environment where the implant can be placed stably.

Treatment process A hole in a molar, candidly explained. Must-read for those who delayed due to dental anxiety

Because the bone loss was extensive, we chose "delayed placement," meaning the implant would not be placed immediately after grafting.

You may not be very familiar with the concept of delayed placement, right?

If you’re curious why we do not place the implant right away and why waiting is necessary,

reading the article I previously organized below will be very helpful first.

We first reinforced the insufficient bone and waited for about 5 months.

After waiting for the new bone to fill in well,

we allowed enough healing time so that the implant could be supported without any movement.

"Now that the implant has been placed, we can finish the implant right away, right...?"

After a long wait and once surgery is complete, this is probably what many people think.

Unfortunately, even after the implant is placed, we do not immediately put on a tooth-shaped prosthesis.

The implanted root still needs to go through a process of fusing firmly with the surrounding bone,

which takes time once again.

In this way, for implants, above all else, the condition of the bone is the key factor in the treatment outcome.

Since the patient’s bone condition was not good, we waited generously for about 5 months even after placement.

If the value comes out above 70, we consider the bone and implant to have fused well.

This patient had a value above 80.^^

Thanks to waiting with enough time, we were able to confirm that the bone and implant had fused well.

Now only the final impression-taking step remained.

We use an intraoral scanner, which takes a precise digital impression, rather than the traditional bite-down rubber method.

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It is an expensive piece of equipment, but seeing patients feel comfortable makes me feel it was truly worth introducing.^^

More importantly, because it is made using digital data, it is natural that a more precise prosthesis can be produced.

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Thanks to that, the case was completed successfully with a zirconia prosthesis.

240527(before) 250409(after)

Coming to the dentist 'early' is the biggest advantage.

If you wait until the bone has resorbed a lot, the treatment period will become longer,

and the financial burden, including bone grafting costs, will inevitably increase.

Do you currently see a small hole in a tooth, or feel discomfort in a specific area?

If so, now may be your 'last chance' to save time and money.

Please visit the dentist before it gets any later and have your tooth condition thoroughly checked.

Thank you.^^

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A hole in a molar, candidly explained. Must-read for those who delayed due to dental anxiety

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02-481-4278

| This post was written directly by Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic for the purpose of providing medical information in compliance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Advertising Act. The information provided is for reference only, and we recommend that you visit a medical institution to receive guidance from medical professionals for symptom assessment and accurate management methods. All procedures / surgeries performed at the dental clinic may carry risks depending on the individual (inflammation, bleeding, swelling, etc.). Please make your decision after sufficient consultation with the medical staff in advance. The treatment cases in this post were photographed with the consent of patients who completed treatment at our clinic, and the before-and-after photos were taken under identical conditions. |