Tooth Impaction: Symptoms and Treatments
An impacted tooth is a tooth that has not erupted through your gumline to grow into the proper position.
Instead, the tooth is stuck, or impacted, in your gum tissue or jawbone. This can cause dental problems and other health concerns if left untreated.
There are a variety of causes of impacted teeth, and several treatment options. These facts will help you understand impacted teeth issues and why it may be important for you to treat the condition.
Common Causes of Tooth Impaction
Our teeth begin to emerge through the gums during infancy. This happens again when the permanent teeth replace all the baby teeth.
If a tooth does not come through, or emerges just partially, it is considered to be impacted. This happens more often with the wisdom teeth, or your third set of molars. They are the last teeth to grow in, usually erupting between the ages of 17 and 21.
An impacted tooth might remain stuck in the gum tissue or jawbone for a number of reasons. The immediate area may be overcrowded, with no room for the tooth to emerge. Your jaw could be too small to accommodate your wisdom teeth. A tooth can become tilted, twisted, or displaced as it tries to emerge. This can all result in impacted teeth.
Impacted wisdom teeth are quite common. They are often painless and do not cause any problems. However, your dentist might believe an impacted tooth will create issues for your healthy teeth resulting in a misaligned bite. A partially erupted tooth can trap food, bacteria, and other debris, which will lead to swelling and tenderness of the gums causing gum disease. The retained debris can lead to decay in your wisdom tooth or the neighboring teeth, or even bone loss.
Common Symptoms
Frequent symptoms of a fully impacted tooth include:
- You have annoying and constant bad breath.
- A difficulty opening your mouth.
- Tenderness of the gums or jawbone.
- A prolonged headache or pain in your jaw.
- Swelling and redness of your gums in the immediate area.
- Swollen lymph nodes of your neck.
- An unpleasant taste when you bite down near the area.
- A visible gap appears where the tooth did not emerge.
Evaluations and Tests
Your dentist will identify any swollen tissue in the area where a tooth has either not emerged or has partially emerged. The impacted tooth can be pressing against a nearby tooth. The gums around the area might be showing signs of an infection. X-rays will confirm the presence of one or more impacted teeth that have not emerged.
Impacted Teeth Treatment
Treatment might be needed if an impacted wisdom tooth is not causing you any problems. If the impacted tooth is located towards the front of your mouth, corrective braces may be recommended to encourage the tooth into the proper position.
Over-the-counter pain relievers can also help alleviate discomfort from an impacted tooth. Warm saltwater or over-the-counter mouthwashes can also be soothing.
Removal of the tooth is the common and usual treatment for an impacted wisdom tooth. This extraction is performed by your dental team. Antibiotics might be prescribed if the tooth is infected.