Impacted Wisdom Teeth | Chantilly & South Riding VA
Are you aware of the fact that nine out of 10 people have a minimum of one impacted teeth (wisdom teeth) ? The most common reason for wisdom teeth removal is impaction.
Although 32 permanent teeth erupt and grow in most of the people, the jaws of many of them are small and have space to accommodate only 28 teeth. Hence, there is enough space to accommodate the initial two molars, but not the wisdom teeth or the third molars. And since they erupt in the last, often there isn’t enough space for them to erupt and grow.
What are Impacted Teeth?
If you’re someone with small jaws, you could encounter a situation where it’s not able to accommodate the third molars or the wisdom teeth. Inadequate space can cause crowding where the wisdom teeth can’t erupt properly through your gums and “impact” each other. They may often grow sideways, tilted, backward, and in some cases, they can even remain trapped entirely beneath the surface of your gums and bone.
In many cases, the third molars are the teeth that are affected most. If they go untreated, it could lead to infections, damage to neighboring teeth and tissues, crowding, receding gums, bone loss, jaw weakening, development of cysts/tumors, and periodontal disease.
Types of Impacted Teeth
If you have impacted teeth, then you should consult your oral surgeon to find out if you will have any benefit from the removal of wisdom teeth. Your surgeon will take a specialized X-ray of your jaws and mouth to find out if there is any impaction of wisdom teeth if there is enough space for their eruption, and how difficult will be their removal. The different types of impaction, according to the angulation of the teeth and tissue type is as follows:
According to Angulation
Horizontal impaction
In this type, the tooth lies on its side.
Mesial impaction
This is the most common of all types of impaction. In this type, the tooth lies at an angle in the forward direction towards the front portion of your mouth.
Distal Impaction
In this type of impaction the tooth lies at an angle toward the backside of your mouth.
Vertical Impaction
In this type of impaction, the tooth is lying in an almost-normal position, i.e. the upright position
Impacted Teeth According to Tissue Type
Soft Tissue Impaction
In this type of impaction, the upper part of the tooth erupts through the jaw bone but not through the gum or the soft tissue. Due to this impaction, not enough space is there to allow retraction of gum tissue for proper cleaning of wisdom teeth.
Partial bony impaction
In this type of impaction, the wisdom tooth is still present mostly in the jawbone, though a small part of it has erupted out through the soft tissue. Hence, there is enough room that allows the partial eruption of wisdom teeth. But the tooth is not able to function properly and adequately in the process of chewing and causes problems with cleaning among other problems.
Complete/full Bony Impaction
In this type of impaction, the whole tooth lies inside your jaw bone. There is NO room for the eruption of the wisdom tooth and it remains trapped in your jaw bone or even if it is partially visible, it may need complex surgical methods to remove it. The impacted tooth may also lie in an odd position; thereby, its removal becomes even more difficult. This situation may also happen when the size or shape of your jaw bone and other structures of the face make removal of the impacted tooth more complex.
Why Impacted Wisdom Teeth Needs be Removed?
According to clinical studies, early assessment and evaluation of impacted wisdom teeth produce better results for patients. You should get your impacted wisdom tooth removed before the root structure of the tooth is fully developed. In some people, it may occur by the age of 12 or 13 years, while in others, it may occur in their early twenties. Some of the common problems that can occur by not removing impacted wisdom teeth are:
- Infection: This is the most frequent problem and is also known as pericoronitis. When there isn’t enough space for eruption, the soft (gum) tissue surrounding the wisdom teeth may get infected, resulting in recurrent swelling, pain, and difficulty in chewing or/and swallowing.
- Cyst formation: Cysts (fluid-filled structures) may form inside your jaw bone due to impacted wisdom teeth and expand slowly, destroying the adjacent bone and even teeth. Treatment of cysts is further complicated if you wait too long to remove the impacted wisdom tooth.
- Possible crowding: Wisdom teeth impaction may also lead to crowding of teeth that are most visible in the front teeth, usually the lower teeth.
- Damage to Surrounding Teeth: In many cases, the teeth around the impacted tooth will have little to no room for cleaning, resulting in potential gum disease, loss of bone around the tooth, or/and decay.