What Is Impacted Tooth? | Impacted Tooth Treatment
Some teeth cannot find a place in the mouth and do not come out. These are called impacted teeth.
The most common impacted teeth are wisdom teeth and canines.
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Which Treatments Are Applied to Impacted Teeth?
If the impacted tooth is not extracted, it may cause cyst or even tumour formation in the area.
If the impacted tooth is a canine tooth, it may need to be driven into the mouth. This requires orthodontic treatment.
With the help of a wire to be applied to the teeth, the impacted canine tooth is driven into the mouth.
Canine teeth that cannot be driven into the mouth are extracted if necessary.
Treatment Summary
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If the impacted tooth is a wisdom tooth and damages the neighbouring teeth or causes pain, it must be extracted.
Why Does Impacted Tooth Occur?
Impacted teeth are teeth that do not erupt fully in the jawbone or have a defective eruption direction. The main reason for this condition, which is most commonly seen in wisdom teeth, is that the jaw does not contain enough space for the tooth to erupt. In addition, tooth misalignment, genetic factors and early loss of deciduous teeth can also lead to impacted tooth formation.
Therefore, incompatibilities in jaw growth development or different intervening anatomical structures cause the tooth to deviate from its normal axis and fail to complete the eruption phase.
What are the Symptoms of Impacted Tooth?
Impacted teeth can often remain in the mouth for a long time without causing any symptoms. However, in some cases, they may present themselves with various symptoms. Here are the common symptoms of impacted teeth:
- Pain: Throbbing or pressing pain may occur behind the jaw, around the ear or on one side of the head.
- Gingival Swelling and Redness: The gums covering the impacted tooth may become inflamed and visibly swollen.
- Bad breath: Bacteria and food residues accumulated around the impacted tooth can cause bad breath.
- Difficulty swallowing and chewing: Chewing and swallowing may become difficult due to pain, especially in the lower jaw impacted teeth.
- Lymph node swelling: In case of infection, swelling and tenderness may occur in the lymph nodes under the jaw or in the neck area.
- Headache or Earache: Pain may occur on one side of the head or in the ear due to the pressure of the impacted tooth on the nerve structures.
- Feeling of Pressure on Neighboring Teeth: The impacted tooth can put pressure on the tooth next to it, disrupting the alignment and creating a feeling as if the teeth are overlapping.
When one or more of these symptoms are observed, it is important to consult a dentist for early diagnosis and treatment. Impacted teeth should not be neglected as they can cause more serious complications over time.
In Which Teeth is Impacted Tooth More Common?
Impacted teeth are most common in the third molars, the so-called wisdom teeth. The limited area of the jaw bone structure in this region prevents the wisdom tooth from erupting fully. Rarely, cases of impacted upper canines and premolars can be detected. Depending on the jaw structure, genetic predisposition and tooth size, there is a risk of impacted teeth in other teeth, but the dominant examples are always wisdom teeth.
How is Impacted Tooth Treatment Performed?
The treatment of impacted teeth is first planned after a thorough examination and dental x-ray examination. In simple cases, the dentist opens the gum under local anesthesia and extracts the tooth. In more complex cases of impacted teeth, oral surgery may be required. During surgery, the tissues around the bone are carefully separated, the tooth can be divided into pieces and then the extraction is performed. At the end of the procedure, the gum is closed with sutures and protected with a sterile dressing.
How Does the Recovery Process Proceed After Impacted Tooth Extraction?
It is critical to maintain a blood clot in the first 24 hours after extraction. Therefore, gauze biting and resting if possible is recommended to control bleeding. The risk of infection is reduced with the use of painkillers and, if necessary, antibiotics for the first few days. If there are stitches in the gum, they are usually cleaned with sutures that dissolve or are removed within a week. In the first week, hard foods should be avoided and soft foods should be preferred. Full recovery is usually completed between 2 and 4 weeks.
What are the Types of Impacted Teeth?
Impacted teeth are divided into different classes according to their location and angle of eruption. Each type determines the treatment approach and the degree of difficulty of the operation:
- Vertically Impacted Tooth: The tooth axis remains almost vertical, parallel or very close to the eruption line.
- Horizontal Impacted Tooth: The tooth axis is horizontal, tilted towards the neighboring tooth.
- Mesioangular (Anteriorly Inclined) Impacted Tooth: The tooth is located at an oblique angle towards the tooth in front of it.
- Distoangular (Backward Tilted) Impacted Tooth: The tooth is tilted towards the back of the jaw.
- Vertical Incisor (Partially Impacted): Part of the tooth is visible through the gum surface, but has not fully erupted into the bone.
- Fully Impacted Tooth: None of the tooth has erupted through the gum surface and is completely under the bone and gum.
This classification of impacted teeth clarifies the complexity of the surgical procedure and the type of intervention required.
How Long Does Impacted Tooth Extraction Take?
Simple and vertically positioned impacted tooth extractions can be completed in 20 to 40 minutes on average. For horizontal or angled teeth that are deeply embedded in the bone, the procedure time may be longer and may take between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours as it requires surgical intervention. The patient’s general health status and oral structure characteristics are among the other factors that affect the duration of the operation.
What happens if an impacted tooth is not extracted?
If the impacted tooth is left untreated, chronic infection, cyst or abscess may develop in the jaw area. It increases the risk of caries in the surrounding teeth and may cause orthodontic problems by causing tooth alignment disorders. In addition, complaints such as bone loss, periodontal tissue weakness and facial pain may occur in the long term. For this reason, impacted teeth should be kept under regular control and early intervention should be performed when necessary.
How Does Impacted Tooth Affect Oral Health?
An impacted tooth makes oral hygiene difficult in the area where it is located, creating an environment suitable for the accumulation of bacterial plaque. This leads to gingivitis, caries and bad breath. It creates a risk of resorption by putting pressure on nearby tooth roots.
In case of infection, it can cause destruction at the level of the jawbone and swelling of the lymph nodes. In addition, pain and loss of function can reduce chewing quality and disrupt the diet. With regular dental check-ups, the negative effects of impacted teeth can be minimized.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can take a look at the common questions asked by our patients and contact us for all other questions you are curious about.
Yes, impacted teeth can cause collisions, crowding and root erosion, especially by putting pressure on adjacent teeth. Over time, this can lead to pain and tooth loss.
Usually impacted teeth do not directly change the shape of the face. However, in severe cases, slight asymmetries may occur due to changes in the jaw structure.
An impacted tooth can put pressure on the jawbone and cause changes in the jaw structure over time. In particular, jaw stenosis or tooth alignment disorders can be seen.
As with any surgical procedure, there are some risks in impacted tooth surgery; complications such as infection, swelling, nerve damage can rarely be seen. However, with an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon, these risks are minimized.
Swelling after extraction of an impacted tooth usually peaks in 2 to 3 days and subsides in 5 to 7 days. This process can be made more comfortable with cold compresses and medications recommended by the physician.
