Tooth Impaction; Symptoms and Treatments
An impacted tooth is a tooth that has not erupted through your gumline to grow into its correct position.
Instead, the tooth has remained embedded, or impacted, in your gum tissue or jawbone. This can cause issues and dental problems and even other health concerns if left untreated.
There are a variety of causes of impacted teeth, and several treatments for the problem. The following facts will help you understand what impacted teeth are and why it could be important for you to treat this issue and schedule an appointment with your dentist.
Common Causes of Tooth Impaction
Teeth start to erupt through the gums during infancy. This happens again when the permanent teeth replace those baby teeth.
If a tooth does not erupt, or emerges partially, it is then considered to be impacted. This happens quite often with the wisdom teeth, or the third set of molars. They are always the last teeth to erupt, usually between the ages of 16 and 25.
An impacted tooth will remain stuck in the gum tissue or jawbone for several reasons. The specific area might be overcrowded, leaving no space for the tooth to erupt. Your jaw might be just too small to accommodate the wisdom teeth. The teeth can also become twisted, tilted, or displaced as they try to erupt. This will result in being impacted.
Impacted wisdom teeth are quite common. They are often painless and do not really cause problems. However, many dentists believe an impacted tooth will only create issues for the healthy teeth, often causing a misaligned bite. A partially erupted tooth can easily trap food, debris, causing plaque, which will quickly lead to inflammation and tenderness of the gums causing gum disease. The retained debris will lead to decay in the wisdom tooth or the neighboring teeth, and even bone loss.
Common Symptoms
You may not have any symptoms of a fully impacted tooth. These symptoms include:
* You have constant bad breath.
* Pain or tenderness with your gums or jawbone.
* Difficulty opening your mouth.
* A prolonged headache or a jaw ache.
* A visible gap where the tooth did not emerge.
* Swelling or redness of the gums in the area.
* Swollen lymph nodes in the neck.
* An unpleasant taste when biting down near the area.
Evaluations and Tests
Your dentist will first identify any swollen tissue in the area where a tooth has not emerged or has only partially emerged. The impacted tooth could be pressing against nearby teeth. The gums around the area might be showing signs of infection. X-rays will confirm the presence of one or more teeth that have remained impacted.
Impacted Teeth Treatment
Treatment might be beneficial if an impacted wisdom tooth is not causing problems. If the impacted tooth is located towards the front of your mouth, braces could be recommended to help coax the tooth into its proper position.
Over-the-counter pain relievers will help if the impacted tooth is causing you discomfort. Warm saltwater or over-the-counter mouthwashes can also be soothing to the gums.
Removal of the tooth is the most common treatment for an impacted wisdom tooth. This is a common procedure performed by your dental team.