Is My Tooth Impacted?
An impacted tooth is the situation in which a tooth fails to break through the gum. It gets ′′ stuck ′′ and doesn’t erupt from the gums. This is a situation that can cause a lot of discomfort. If you think you might have an impacted tooth, you can look for symptoms and visit your dentist for X-rays, which is the only way to tell for sure.
What causes impacted or impacted tooth?
Usually, the problem is caused by lack of space within the oral cavity. Impacted tooth problem most often occurs with wisdom teeth or third molars. However, they are not the only ones who can be impacted.
In some cases, you may feel pain at the site of the impacted tooth, but this does not always happen. The tooth can erupt through just a small part of your gum without causing major discomfort. However, even when it is painless, the position of an impacted tooth can make cleaning difficult. Generally, impacted teeth can lead to experiencing inflammation and infections both in the teeth and in the gums and you may start to realize there is a problem.
Is it always the wisdom teeth’s fault?
The impacted tooth does not necessarily have to do with the wisdom teeth. Usually, the patient already has a lack of space in the oral cavity. As wisdom teeth are the last to erupt, they are the most affected. However, it's not just those teeth that can be born impacted. There are patients whose upper canine teeth fail to erupt. This often happens due to problems with the size of the palate, the “roof of the mouth”. The third type of teeth that can be most affected is the premolars. However, after wisdom teeth, the upper canines are the ones most affected by this problem. This happens because they also take longer to be born than incisors or molars. In this case, due to the importance of the tooth, it is very important that it be stimulated to break through the gum.
Usually, canines erupt around 11 years old. Therefore, many of the problems of impacted teeth can affect children in this age group. It is for this reason that it is important to take the little ones to their dentist regularly. The sooner the problem is detected, the greater the chances of avoiding more serious damage.
Treatment of impacted or impacted teeth
To treat the impacted tooth, it is usually necessary to perform surgery to extract it or help it to be born. In the latter case, it can be repositioned using orthodontic appliances.
It is very important that the procedure be performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. This professional specializes in performing these types of more complex procedures, such as surgeries. Tooth extraction is a simple procedure when performed by a good professional. However, it is surgery and requires technical knowledge to avoid complications, such as paresthesia.
The impacted tooth should be treated even if you do not feel any discomfort. This is because over time you can develop some problems due to the unerupted tooth. In addition to gum inflammation, there is a high incidence of cavities, root resorption of neighboring teeth, and even the emergence of tumors. If you have one or more teeth that have not erupted, consult an oral and maxillofacial specialist.