Impacted teeth are teeth that become stuck under the gum or are only able to partially break through the gum. Wisdom teeth are usually the ones that become impacted because they are the last to break through the gum and the jaw doesn’t have enough space for all the teeth that are growing in. These teeth usually come in at the wrong angles and bump into teeth in front. Impacted teeth are fairly common and there are people that never have any trouble with them. However, an impacted tooth can cause concern when it becomes painful.
How to Diagnose Impacted Teeth
When one has an impacted tooth, the first thing that one will notice is redness and swelling of the gums around the area. Occasionally, one can experience difficulty in opening his mouth and pain might be felt along the gums. A dental x-ray is going to be most definitive procedure to diagnose an impacted tooth.
When Impacted Teeth Become a Problem
It is possible for an impacted tooth to be infected, but not all impacted teeth are infected. Impacted teeth become a problem when it becomes infected or if it pushes into another tooth and can potentially misalign one’s bite or damage the nearby tooth. When this happens, teeth extraction is the usual treatment method.
How To Treat Impacted Teeth
You may opt not to have impacted teeth removed or extracted, but the risks of keeping them are:
- Unnecessary crowding of your teeth
- Erosion of the roots of adjacent teeth
- A “food trap” that is difficult to brush or floss that could lead to tooth decay
Dr. Reese notes, impacted teeth almost always require extraction. The longer the extraction is postponed, the longer the tooth roots grow and when the tooth roots of an impacted tooth are allowed to develop, the risk of complication due to extraction increases significantly due to tooth roots that grow around sensitive facial nerves.
Tooth extraction is the complete removal of a tooth. It can be surgical or non-surgical. This depends on the difficulty of the extraction and whether or not the tooth is impacted or erupted, and whether it has straight or curved roots.
We understand that extractions can cause anxiety. No one looks forward to extractions. However, at Indianapolis Dentistry, our oral surgery procedures are done at our comfortable clinic under the able hands of Dr. Reese. We have strived hard to ensure that we provide the most comfortable, pain-free, and quality care we believe is possible to all of our patients. And with various sedation modalities that will allow you to be sedated and be settled in comfortably, your tooth extraction experience will be almost painless. Furthermore, Dr. Reese’s over 25 years of experience will provide you with as uneventful a surgical experience as possible.
Make Sure Your Impacted Teeth are Treated Right Away
Most people have the misconception that as long as they don’t feel any pain, they do not need to worry. Pain free doesn’t always mean there isn’t any problem. The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons(AAOMS) and the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation (OMFS) strongly recommends evaluation by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon by the time a patient is a young adult. Dr. Reese performs oral surgery and can properly assess and evaluate the presence of wisdom teeth, its status and suggest management or treatment in the Indianapolis area.