How Serious is an Impacted Tooth?
An impacted tooth can create extreme discomfort and other troublesome issues. If the impacted tooth is left untreated, it might cause serious side effects and can even become life threatening. If you observe symptoms of an impacted tooth, you need to visit your dentist as soon as possible for both an evaluation and proper treatment.
If any tooth does not erupt, or emerges through the gum only partially, it is still considered to be impacted. This usually occurs with the wisdom teeth, which are the third set of molars. They are always the final teeth to erupt. They usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 21.
An impacted tooth can remain in your gum tissue or bone for several reasons. The arch might be overcrowded, which leaves no space for the tooth to emerge. Your jaw could be too small to accommodate the wisdom teeth. Some teeth can also be tilted, twisted, or displaced as they try to emerge. This will also cause impacted teeth.
Symptoms of an Impacted Tooth
An impacted tooth will not emerge properly. The most frequent teeth to remain impacted are the wisdom teeth, but impaction can still happen with any tooth that does not erupt into its correct position. X-rays will help determine if any teeth are impacted before any symptoms occur.
Symptoms can include:
- Swelling or redness of the gums.
- Your gums begin to bleed.
- A headache or discomfort in the jaw.
- Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth.
Any symptoms of an impacted tooth should be brought to your dentist’s attention quickly. An impacted tooth can become infected, and then the infection can move into your sinuses, into your brain or your circulatory system. This can advance into a 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 initial evaluation, your dentist will explain the treatment. If the tooth is infected, you might need to take antibiotics for the infection before the tooth can be removed.
Sometimes an impacted tooth never exhibits any symptoms, causing no difficulty, and therefore does not need removal. An evaluation of your situation will determine if leaving the teeth in place is likely to cause problems.
If you think you might need an impacted tooth removed, schedule an appointment with your dentist. They will evaluate your case 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 or in the gum area.
- An infection.
- Consistent discomfort in your mouth.
- The poor alignment of your teeth.
- Damaging plaque trapped between some teeth and gums.
- Gum disease.
- Nerve damage if the impacted tooth is close to a nerve.
Your Solution for an Impacted Tooth
An impacted tooth can cause no problems and therefore may never need treatment. Treatment is most often successful when the tooth does cause symptoms.
Having the wisdom teeth removed before the age of 20 usually yields better results than waiting. This is because the impacted tooth roots have not fully developed, making it easier to remove and to heal. With aging, the roots become longer and curved. The bone also becomes more rigid, and complications can be increased.