Is 8 a good enough sub for 6 (7)?

Hey everyone,
So, here’s my situation—back when I was a kid, I lost my upper left 6. Since then, the space has completely closed up because my wisdom tooth moved in—so now my upper left is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 (all healthy and tight).
On the upper right, everything is perfect—1 through 8 are all there and healthy.
I also lost my lower right 6 as a kid. My wisdom tooth came in, but it didn't quite fill the gap between the 5 and the 7—the 7 tilted quite a bit, and the wisdom tooth eventually grew in and fused up against that tilted 7. So, my lower right is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 (healthy, but there's still a gap between the 5 and the 7).
Right now, I’m dealing with root canal work on my lower left 6. Honestly, I’m torn on whether to just pull it. A perfectly healthy wisdom tooth is starting to come in, and this 6 is basically a wreck—it’s already had one root canal and is essentially a dead tooth. It doesn't hurt, but my X-ray shows there's still bacteria deep in the tissue. I'm wondering if I should just extract this beat-up 6 (even if I finish the treatment) and try using braces to slide the 7 into the 6's spot, and then the 8 into the 7's spot—on both sides. It feels wrong to pull a perfectly good wisdom tooth just to save a 6 that's been patched up so many times...
My big question is—is a wisdom tooth actually a good enough substitute for a 6 (or a 7) when it comes to jawbone density (both top and bottom)? I know a 6 usually has three canals, but how many does a wisdom tooth have?
It seems like a massive difference since you don't always need a surgeon for a wisdom tooth, but you definitely do for a 6. Anyway, I’d love to hear any experiences or advice you guys have (feel free to DM me too).🙏

Basically—it’s probably not a great swap. That sixth tooth is like the anchor of your whole jaw, but hey, you lost them, so it is what it is. You really need to sit down with an orthodontist, because honestly, nobody can give you a straight answer until then.

The number of canals usually just depends on how many roots there are, which—especially with those wisdom teeth—is super random. You won't really know for sure until they take some X-rays...

Have you actually made it to an orthodontist yet to see what the deal is with straightening everything out?

So, an implant isn't even on the table for the future?
If I were in your shoes, I’d be way more worried about the bacteria lurking under those six teeth right now. Speaking from experience, leaving teeth in that condition is asking for an abscess or having the infection spread deeper into your jaw... You really ought to get a second opinion and weigh the risks against any potential benefits of keeping that specific tooth.

Ashley Johnson46 said:Basically—it’s not a great swap. That molar is a huge part of your bite, but since they're already gone, what's done is done. You really need to sit down with an orthodontist; nobody can give you a straight answer until then.

The number of canals depends on how many roots there are—which, honestly, is pretty random with wisdom teeth and molars. You won't know for sure until you get some X-rays...

Have you actually seen an orthodontist yet to see what the options are for straightening things out?

Ugh, yeah, I should have realized that myself...

So, looking at my bottom jaw, I'm missing the molar on the right, but everything is still there on the left. You can totally see the difference in my jawline and face shape—the left side looks way better because everything is still where it belongs. It might not be super obvious to everyone, but I definitely notice it...

Then looking UP, everything is fine on the right, so my cheek looks fuller there compared to the left side where that molar is missing (even though my next tooth and my wisdom tooth have closed the gap completely and you can't see the hole)

Ugh, I'm literally crying over those two molars (and maybe a third one soon, too)

And yes, I've been to several different orthodontists already...
First off, I had one failed orthodontic treatment (that specific doctor was a nightmare—lots of bad reviews, keeps making the same mistakes, so I just gave up on them)
And from the others, I've gotten all sorts of conflicting advice:
1. One suggested leaving the molar with the root issue alone—basically "let sleeping dogs lie"—but I've already booked a follow-up with a top-tier endodontist to see if he can save it. If he can't fix it, it's coming out.
2. Another wanted to pull the molar and the wisdom tooth and just go straight for an implant on the 6 spot.
3. A third thought we could try using the wisdom tooth and the next one over to close the space...

That's why I'm asking for advice—I've heard so many different versions of how to fix this. I actually liked the idea of closing the gap with the other teeth, mostly because the thought of having metal screwed into my jaw terrifies me. It sounds so intense, and I'm also worried about what happens if I lose more teeth as I get older—how am I supposed to replace them all if I'm already using implants?
But then again, I feel bad about losing that wisdom tooth growing in on the bottom left because it's perfectly healthy—I just don't know!
It's all because back when I was a kid, I only brushed my front teeth—which look great, by the way—but then the back teeth ended up being a total disaster. 🤦

Melissa Sanchez8 said:So, an implant isn't even on the table for the future?
If I were you, I’d be way more worried about those bacteria hiding under the #6 right now. From what I've seen, leaving teeth like that is asking for an abscess—or worse, having the infection spread deep into your jaw. Seriously, get a second opinion and really weigh the risks versus the benefits of just leaving that tooth alone.

Thanks for the feedback!
The whole idea of getting an implant sounds pretty terrifying to me—I mentioned that above...
Plus, I'm thinking about how I'll lose more teeth as I get older, and how that one implant will affect my ability to fix the rest of my smile later on.
And yeah, I am scared... honestly, I feel like I need to get it pulled anyway. After my first treatment, I spent like three or four months basically walking around with an open tooth. Even if my endodontist fixes it now, I have a feeling it won't be a long-term solution... (though I did read somewhere that if they fix it right, it can stay put for years?) So now I'm just totally lost on what the smart move is...
That's why I'm asking about the wisdom tooth—it feels like a lifeline, but I know it's not a perfect substitute for a premolar. I can tell because I'm already losing bone density. It's subtle, but since I had my upper left premolar pulled, things look different compared to the upper right where everything is perfectly aligned—you can actually see the difference in my face shape...

So, there are basically three ways to handle this and I’m honestly torn—except for the first option (letting the lion loose while it sleeps), which is absolutely off the table...
As for the other two, sticking with my current setup feels a bit too invasive—I'd be losing a healthy molar and that endodontic post just to get an implant, even if that might actually be the best move for my bone density in the long run.
But since I’m getting older, shifting the second molar and the wisdom tooth would be such a massive headache—though man, I am genuinely heartbroken about losing that wisdom tooth.

And that upper left premolar? The one I lost way back in elementary school? You can't even tell it's gone because the second molar and the wisdom tooth have perfectly filled the gap—not that any of the orthodontists I've seen suggested putting an implant there...

I need to make a call within the next month, so the clock is ticking and I’m still stuck trying to figure out what the smartest move actually is...

You could always start by trying Option 3 first.
Option 2 feels a little extreme to me—pulling a wisdom tooth just because... I mean, it’s such a waste to lose a perfectly healthy tooth. I’ve been to a few dentists who really go out of their way to save what they can instead of just drilling away at healthy teeth to fix problems elsewhere.
Is there any way to replace the 6th tooth with an implant while leaving the wisdom tooth alone?
Implants feel pretty invasive, sure, but they get the job done. How much digging have you actually done into this...

Melissa Sanchez8 said:You can always try Option 3 first.
Option 2 feels a bit extreme to me—pulling a wisdom tooth just because? It seems like such a waste to lose a perfectly healthy tooth. I’ve been to a few dentists here in the States who would go out of their way to save whatever they could; they really hate touching healthy teeth when there are actual issues to fix elsewhere.
Is there any way to just get an implant for the #6 molar and leave the wisdom tooth alone?
An implant is definitely invasive, sure, but it gets the job done. How much digging have you actually done into that yet?

There’s just zero room down there for both the wisdom tooth and the #6 (assuming I can fix/implant it). Plus, my bite is all messed up—I need to shift everything over to that side—so something is definitely going to have to come out since the implant and the wisdom tooth won't fit together. 🕺
I looked into implants, and honestly, the whole thing just feels super intense—and I worry about potential complications, so I'm still on the fence...
Though, strictly speaking for bone preservation, an implant would be the best move to keep things stable—which means the wisdom tooth probably has to go... 😬

If I were in your shoes, I’d probably just go ahead and pull that problematic sixth tooth. Long-term, I have a feeling it might just end up being a total headache for you.

And honestly, whether it's an implant or just pulling the wisdom tooth—I don't know, really—you should definitely dig around for more opinions. Maybe get them to walk you through how the whole implant thing works and what kind of risks are actually involved.

Ashley Johnson46 said:If I were in your shoes, I’d go ahead and grab that passing grade. Honestly, looking at the long game—it feels like you'll just be creating headaches for yourself later if you don't.

Now, whether it's an implant or pulling a wisdom tooth... man, I really don't know. You should definitely dig around for more opinions—maybe get a second look from a specialist—so they can walk you through how implants actually work and what the risks are.

Thanks so much! 😊👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼