How Serious is an Impacted Tooth?
An impacted tooth can prompt serious discomfort and other troublesome issues. If you leave the impacted tooth untreated, it can cause some serious side effects and even become life threatening. If you experience symptoms of an impacted tooth, you should see your dentist as soon as possible for an evaluation and proper treatment.
If you have a tooth that does not erupt, or emerges only slightly, it is impacted. This most often happens with wisdom teeth, which are the third set of molars. They are the last teeth to erupt. They most often erupt between the ages of 17 and 21.
An impacted tooth can remain in your gum tissue or bone for several reasons. Your arch might be overcrowded, leaving no room for the tooth to emerge. Your jaw could be too small to accommodate your wisdom teeth. Your teeth might also be tilted, twisted, or displaced as they try to emerge. This results in impacted teeth.
Symptoms of an Impacted Tooth
An impacted tooth does not emerge correctly. The teeth most often impacted are the wisdom teeth, but impact can still occur with any tooth that does not erupt into the proper position. X-rays can help determine if any teeth are impacted before any symptoms occur.
Symptoms may include:
* Redness or swelling of your gums.
* A headache or discomfort in the jaw.
* Your gums are bleeding.
* Evidence of bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth.
Any symptom of a potentially impacted tooth should be brought to your dentist’s attention. An impacted tooth can develop an infection, and the infection can move into your sinuses, your circulatory system, and even the brain. This can proceed into heart disease, brain damage, or even death if left untreated.
Treatment for an Impacted Tooth
Usually, the recommended treatment for an impacted tooth is extraction. After an evaluation, your dentist will determine and share the suggested treatment. If the tooth has become infected, you might need to take antibiotics for the infection prior to the safe removal of the tooth.
Sometimes an impacted tooth never exhibits any symptoms, resulting in no difficulties, and does not need to be removed. Having an evaluation to see if leaving the teeth in place can determine if there will be problems with the rest of the teeth in the arch.
If you think you might need an impacted tooth removed, contact your dentist. They will provide an evaluation and decide an appropriate solution to alleviate any discomfort as soon as possible.
Possible Complications
Complications of an impacted tooth can include:
* An abscess of the tooth.
* A chronic discomfort in your mouth.
* An infection.
* Poor alignment of your teeth.
* Gum disease.
* Damaging plaque trapped between your teeth and gums.
* Nerve damage if the impacted tooth is near a nerve.
Your Solution for an Impacted Tooth
An impacted tooth might cause no problems and might not need treatment. Treatments are most often successful when the tooth is causing symptoms.
Having your wisdom teeth removed earlier most often yields better results than waiting. This is because the roots are not developed, making it easier to remove and to heal. As you age, these roots become longer. The bone also becomes more rigid, and complications can develop.