Hole in tooth

Hi,

I have very good teeth except one at the bottom right, next to my wisdom tooth (second molar?), which had a small filling up until I was 15 when the filling came out and through an irrational fear of the dentist I didn't have it looked at. I'm now 25 and although there's been no pain there's a gaping whole in the tooth and I'd like to have it looked at. I know the tooth's still alive.

What are the options? If I have it removed will the gap be noticeable? Will the other teeth move if there's a gap? Is a replacement uncomfortable to have inserted?

Importantly, how long does it take to heal once it's been removed?

Any help will be greatly appreciated! :)

[Jerome Tsang, DDS]

If the tooth is still alive and the gap isn't too large, you can get a crown placed on the tooth.  The tooth needs to be checked to make sure its alive though so that it doesn't get infected later and need a root canal.  If it isn't save-able, then if you remove it, the teeth will most likely shift.