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Impacted
teeth are unerupted or partially erupted teeth that cannot
fully erupt due to:
- Lack
of space (crowding)
- Misalignment
(tooth is rotated out of position)
- Conflicting
position (another tooth has erupted over that position)
- Ankylosis
- when other causes of impaction are not corrected in a
timely manner, the roots of the impacted tooth can fuse
to the surrounding bone creating a tooth frozen in an unerupted
or partially erupted state.
The
teeth most likely to become impacted are the third molars,
also known as "wisdom teeth." The first molars
are also known as the 6-year molars since they generally erupt
at around age 6, and the second molars are also known as the
12-year molars since they generally erupt at around age 12.
If the third molars erupted normally, they might be called
18-year molars. But there is rarely enough space to fit these
last teeth into the small space left behind the second molars,
so the third molars often become impacted.
This
panoramic x-ray shows the impacted 3rd molars (wisdom teeth).
The
upper wisdom teeth are crowding the sinus cavity and may
erode the roots of the 2nd molars. The lower wisdom teeth
are impacted sideways and are likely to cause crowding of
the lower teeth, leading to malocclusion.
The
most important thing to know about impacted teeth is that
they almost always require extraction. The longer the
extraction is postponed, the longer the tooth roots grow.
When the tooth roots of an impacted tooth are allowed to develop,
the risk of complication due to extraction increases significantly
because the tooth roots may "wrap around" sensitive
facial nerves. If your child has an impacted tooth and you
are not FULLY aware of the risks and alternatives associated
with keeping or extracting an impacted tooth, please Contact
Us for an appointment.
The
risks of keeping an impacted tooth extend beyond the impacted
tooth itself. Any impacted tooth will exert forces on the
other teeth that may cause unnecessary crowding. An impacted
tooth below the gum surface may erode the roots of adjacent
teeth. An impacted tooth above the gum line may create a "food
trap" that is difficult to brush or floss and is likely
to lead to decay.
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