Fix Impacted Teeth
An impacted tooth is a tooth that never erupted through the gum tissue. Wisdom teeth often do not push through until the age of 16 so they are often impacted when removal is advised. This is also occasionally the case for some patient’s baby teeth.
How do I know if I have an impacted tooth?
You may not realize that you have an impacted tooth other than your baby tooth may not fall out or become loose as your other adult teeth come in! The problem with an impacted tooth is that it can cause complications in the rest of your healthy teeth. An impacted tooth can push on neighboring teeth under the gumline and cause decay, infection, gum disease or even nerve damage. An infected impacted tooth can cause you to experience pain and tenderness in the area, swollen gum tissue, gaps in your teeth, bad breath and/or a bad taste in your mouth, and jaw and headaches.
Why might a tooth be impacted?
Why a tooth becomes impacted really comes down to real estate. Especially with wisdom teeth, there may not be enough room for a tooth to fully erupt through the gums. A tooth can be fully impacted in the gum tissue and jaw bone or partially impacted and perhaps half of the tooth is erupted through the gum tissue.
Wisdom teeth are the most notorious teeth for being impacted. These third molars actually develop perpendicular to their neighbors and often do not have the space to turn and erupt. This can cause a lot of trouble since they can push on the neighboring molars and cause decay. Having your wisdom teeth removed before they have the chance to become a problem can save a lot of time and money in the long run.
Another set of teeth that have trouble pushing through are the upper canines. The reason the canines may have trouble erupting is because of the order in which the upper anterior teeth come in. The premolars and incisors tend to come in first and may not leave room for the canines!
What is the treatment for an impacted tooth?
The most common treatment for impacted wisdom teeth is extraction. They are unnecessary and often do more harm than good. Other impacted teeth are usually needed and can be helped along with extraction of any obstructing tooth and orthodontic therapy.
If you suspect that you have an impacted tooth, discuss it with your dentist so they can take x-rays to see what is going on in your jawbone! If you do have an impacted tooth, your dentist will be able to discuss your treatment options to help you decide what path will be best for you!
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