An impacted tooth is one that has trouble breaking through the gums and remains either fully or partially embedded in the gum.
The third molars or the wisdom teeth are the most prone to being impacted.
One of the most prominent symptoms that points to this condition is swollen tissue over the surrounding area where the tooth has only partially emerged or has not managed to emerge at all.
The surrounding gum will be red and tender, which are indications of an infection.
What Causes The Tooth To Get Impacted? The most common reason is that a person's jaw may be too small to accommodate the new tooth.
When this happens it causes crowding of the other teeth, leaving no space for the new one to emerge.
Sometimes, it could also have trouble breaking through because it gets misaligned or twisted and comes in at the wrong angle or because another tooth has already emerged in that same position.
Whatever the reason, an impaction can result in many complications and it is best to seek the advice of the dentist.
More often than not, the tooth will require to be extracted.
The longer this is delayed, the more the root grows, making it even more complicated after a while.
What Are The Complications Associated With An Impacted Tooth? The complications go beyond just the tooth itself.
The gum line that lies above the impacted tooth acts as a kind of food trap, trapping food particles and debris that are often difficult to get rid of by brushing or flossing.
This can lead to oral decay.
Also it facilitates the development of cysts and tumors in the tissues surrounding the area and when left untreated, these cysts and tumors could damage the surrounding teeth too.
If it manages to break through but it is badly positioned, other complications could arise.
When a wisdom tooth is not aligned correctly, it has no opposite matching tooth to provide it with a proper biting surface.
This causes it to keep growing more than usual and it could poke or bite the inner cheek, causing pain and infection.
Very often, when there is no immediate pain or infection, some individuals may decide against extraction.
In this case, regular dental check ups with regular X-Rays are crucial as the area has to be monitored to ensure that there are no tumors or cysts developing.
Your best defense against any type of dental problems is to visit your dentist on schedule as recommended.
The third molars or the wisdom teeth are the most prone to being impacted.
One of the most prominent symptoms that points to this condition is swollen tissue over the surrounding area where the tooth has only partially emerged or has not managed to emerge at all.
The surrounding gum will be red and tender, which are indications of an infection.
What Causes The Tooth To Get Impacted? The most common reason is that a person's jaw may be too small to accommodate the new tooth.
When this happens it causes crowding of the other teeth, leaving no space for the new one to emerge.
Sometimes, it could also have trouble breaking through because it gets misaligned or twisted and comes in at the wrong angle or because another tooth has already emerged in that same position.
Whatever the reason, an impaction can result in many complications and it is best to seek the advice of the dentist.
More often than not, the tooth will require to be extracted.
The longer this is delayed, the more the root grows, making it even more complicated after a while.
What Are The Complications Associated With An Impacted Tooth? The complications go beyond just the tooth itself.
The gum line that lies above the impacted tooth acts as a kind of food trap, trapping food particles and debris that are often difficult to get rid of by brushing or flossing.
This can lead to oral decay.
Also it facilitates the development of cysts and tumors in the tissues surrounding the area and when left untreated, these cysts and tumors could damage the surrounding teeth too.
If it manages to break through but it is badly positioned, other complications could arise.
When a wisdom tooth is not aligned correctly, it has no opposite matching tooth to provide it with a proper biting surface.
This causes it to keep growing more than usual and it could poke or bite the inner cheek, causing pain and infection.
Very often, when there is no immediate pain or infection, some individuals may decide against extraction.
In this case, regular dental check ups with regular X-Rays are crucial as the area has to be monitored to ensure that there are no tumors or cysts developing.
Your best defense against any type of dental problems is to visit your dentist on schedule as recommended.
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