Any perspectives appreciated! If a wealthy Westerner has a tooth extracted, they can have a replacement screwed into the jaw to replace the lost tooth. I'm told it costs thousands of dollars, but at least they have that option. What happens to a poor person, who can't afford thousands of dollars to have this done?

I imagine the remaining teeth spread out to fill the gap. If a molar is removed, the rest of the teeth would shift around and things would become asymmetrical - less of an issue for aesthetics if it's on the lower jaw, but a big issue if it's on the lower jaw. I also imagine there'd be bigger gaps between all of the teeth - worse for getting food caught, but at least it would be easier to floss.

I'm facing this question for myself, for a lower jaw molar that lost its crown, and needs to leave. Spending thousands, severely interrupting my travel, and going through all the dental work are all things I really don't want. And it seems silly that I spend thousands on this when there are others in the world who can't afford the life-saving treatment they need for AIDS or whatever, at a fraction of the cost.

But I need to have a better idea of what the consequences are before I make the decision - so your collective wisdom would be appreciated. Exactly how bad is it to just remove a tooth and leave nothing in its place?

Then there's the question of when to extract. I want to go to Burning Man, and I'm concerned about being in a remote place with a freshly extracted tooth. But it's probably better than this slight, constant pressure in my jaw, and plenty of mouthwash might help manage things.