Most of us have heard of the term “impacted,” usually in regard to a wisdom tooth. But what that exactly means may remain a mystery to many people. In the simplest terms, an impacted tooth is one that has not fully erupted through the gum surface. This can happen for a variety of reasons. For example, there may not be enough room for the tooth, or it may be pointed in the wrong direction. And although the term is most typically used in conjunction with wisdom teeth, any tooth can be impacted.
In fact, it’s fairly common for children to experience impacted teeth, particularly when their permanent teeth start coming in. If a baby tooth doesn’t fall out in time to make way for the permanent tooth, the new tooth can become impacted. When a tooth is impacted, it can be painful, and it can also negatively affect surrounding teeth. For that reason, it’s important to fix an impacted tooth as soon as possible.
There are a variety of methods that dentists use to treat impacted teeth, and which one your dentist chooses will most likely be determined by how severe the problem is. If a child has an impacted tooth, it may be fixed by something as simple as removing the baby tooth that is in the way of the new permanent tooth. But if other problems exist – for example, if the patient’s jaw is too narrow to accommodate the normal number of teeth – other methods may be called for, such as orthodontic treatment or even oral surgery. As is almost always the case with dental issues, the earlier a problem is caught, the easier it is to treat. The same holds true for impacted teeth. For this reason, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children get checked by an orthodontist before the age of 7.
In teenagers and adults, the most common instances of impacted teeth are wisdom teeth that are trying to erupt in a mouth that is not large enough to accommodate them. Wisdom teeth are actually a third set of molars that erupt in the very back of the patient’s mouth, behind their existing adult molars. Not everyone gets wisdom teeth, but those that do will need enough room to accommodate those extra molars. Because not everyone’s mouth has adequate room, dentists often recommend that wisdom teeth be removed to alleviate the discomfort of impacted teeth, and to eliminate the possibility for other problems occurring later on.
If you believe you or a member of your family may be experiencing an impacted tooth, contact your dentist today. The good news is that there are a variety of effective treatment methods to resolve this dental issue, but the earlier the problem is detected, the more easily it will be treated.
