Introduction

An impacted tooth is a tooth that has not erupted, which means, it has not emerged above the gum line yet. This can happen because of several conditions. The teeth that are impacted most commonly are the wisdom teeth.

It must be remembered that impacted teeth are different from embedded teeth, though both of these conditions have the teeth present under the gum line, which do not emerge outside. When teeth are embedded, they are actually covered by a bone which stops them from emerging above the gum line. However, teeth that are impacted are teeth that just do not grow, because of which they are not able to come out of the gum line because of improper position.

What are the Causes of Impacted Teeth?

The following are some of the causes that are responsible for impacted teeth.

Impacted teeth happen most frequently with the wisdom teeth. But in some people, the jaw does not allow the accommodation of these four wisdom teeth. That is the reason why the teeth cannot come above the gum line and they remain inside. Hence, the person becomes a victim of impacted teeth.

What are the Symptoms of Impacted Teeth?

The following are some of the symptoms that are commonly observed, though not all people with impacted teeth will have these symptoms.

• There might be pain at the rear of the jaw. (But it must be noted that the pain is not an exclusive symptom for impacted teeth. Teeth may pain because of infection and decay. Another seemingly simple reason for the pain is a particle of food that is stuck between the teeth.)
• People who have an impacted tooth because of infection will suffer from bad breath. They will also experience a bad taste in the mouth.
• The gums may become red and tender.
• In certain cases, the lymph nodes might become swollen.
• Some people in whom the case is extreme will find it painful to even open the mouth.
• In most cases, the person will also experience a nasty headache that does not go away easily.

How are Impacted Teeth diagnosed?

Most cases of suppressed teeth are diagnosed by a physical examination of the area. In case if any sign of infection is present and there is no tooth in the area, the dentist will find out whether the situation is indeed of impacted teeth or not. Once that is decided, the treatment mode is then thought about.

How are Impacted Teeth treated?

One of the routes that are adopted for the treatment of impacted teeth is to extract the four wisdom teeth that are suppressed inside. Different kinds of dental extraction processes are used, depending on how serious the condition is. The mandibular impacted teeth require surgical extraction, which requires raising the gum flap and bone cutting and placement of sutures after the procedure.