Impacted teeth are teeth that remain impacted and cannot erupt because they cannot find enough space to develop in the mouth or do not come to the correct position. In impacted tooth cases, in which genetic factors can also be effective, surgical dental treatment is applied. Adana Oral and Dental Health Polyclinic Dentrum explained the frequently asked questions about impacted tooth treatment and impacted tooth extraction for you.
Article Content
- What Is an Impacted Tooth?
- What Are the Symptoms of Impacted Teeth?
- Why Do Teeth Remain Impacted?
- What Are the Impacted Tooth Treatment Methods?
- Waiting and Keeping the Impacted Tooth Under Observation
- Impacted Tooth Extraction (Impacted Tooth Surgery)
- Guiding the Tooth into the Mouth with Wire Treatment
- Complications That Impacted Teeth Can Cause
What Is an Impacted Tooth?
Impacted teeth are teeth that cannot find enough space and therefore cannot erupt, or that gain an incorrect direction and position and therefore cannot appear. In both cases, the teeth remain impacted and cannot erupt on their own. An important part of impacted tooth cases occurs in the wisdom teeth. However, we also encounter teeth that remain impacted apart from the wisdom teeth. Impacted teeth that cannot erupt from the gum in any way can partially erupt in some cases. Every case has a unique structure. For this reason, the treatment should also be planned personally.
What Are the Symptoms of Impacted Teeth?
- Bad and disturbing breath
- Difficulty opening the mouth
- The person feeling a bad taste in their mouth
- A deficiency in the number of teeth in the mouth
- Red, swollen, or bleeding gums
- Pain felt when we open our mouth, bite, or chew
Why Do Teeth Remain Impacted?
The basic cause of teeth remaining impacted is that there is not enough room in the mouth. The teeth in the mouth taking up too much space and the wisdom teeth not finding the space to take the correct position lead to teeth remaining impacted. Genetic factors are also effective in a non-negligible part of impacted tooth cases. People with a history of impacted teeth in their family are in the risk group.
What Are the Impacted Tooth Treatment Methods?
If you observe the above symptoms in yourself, you need to consult a dentist without delay. In the dental examination, a jaw X-ray is taken and then the position of the impacted tooth is determined. The reason why the tooth remains impacted is investigated, and how it should erupt is analyzed. There are some alternative treatments that should be evaluated before resorting to the surgical treatment option. Let's examine these treatment options together.
Waiting and Keeping the Impacted Tooth Under Observation
If the impacted tooth does not cause any symptoms in the person's mouth, the dentist may take the stance of waiting and remaining in follow-up. During this process, the patient should take care of their oral and dental care, go for dental examinations at regular intervals, and follow the condition of the impacted tooth together with the dentist. According to the course of the tooth, the surgical treatment option can be evaluated afterwards.
Impacted Tooth Extraction (Impacted Tooth Surgery)
Impacted teeth that are in motion, cannot erupt on their own, and put pressure on the other teeth can be extracted. This method is preferred if the patient is experiencing severe toothache. Impacted teeth want to erupt from where they are. The pain felt is for this reason. The extraction of impacted teeth, or in other words impacted tooth surgery, is carried out by oral and dental surgeons. Patients can return home the same day after the operation. This operation, completed in an average of 45 minutes to 1 hour, is carried out with local anesthesia. The patient completes the healing process within a week after the operation.
Guiding the Tooth into the Mouth with Wire Treatment
This treatment is resorted to especially to help impacted canine teeth erupt. Using brackets and braces, the impacted tooth is guided in children and young people. If we are faced with a case in which a result cannot be obtained with this treatment, the replacement of the impacted tooth with a dental implant or bridge is evaluated.
Complications That Impacted Teeth Can Cause
Teeth that are completely impacted cannot erupt from the gum on their own in any way. For this reason, it is impossible to care for or clean impacted teeth. On the other hand, even if the tooth is partially impacted, it is difficult to do enough cleaning and care. Impacted teeth therefore pose a risk in terms of oral and dental health. If impacted teeth are not treated, they cause some complications. If we are to list these possible complications:
- Unwanted gaps in the teeth
- Gum diseases
- Tooth decay
- Infections
- Resorption in the jawbone or tooth root,
Cyst formations that will damage the jawbone and tooth roots
