Overview Of Impacted Tooth
An impacted tooth is a tooth that does not break through the gum.
Commonly Associated With
Tooth – unemerged; Unemerged tooth; Dental impaction; Unerupted tooth
Causes Of Impacted Tooth
Teeth start to pass through the gums (emerge) during infancy. This happens again when permanent teeth replace the primary (baby) teeth.
If a tooth does not come in or emerges only partially, it is considered to be impacted. This most commonly happens with the wisdom teeth (the third set of molars). They are the last teeth to erupt. They usually come in between the ages of 17 and 21.
A tooth remains stuck in gum tissue or bone for various reasons. The area may be overcrowded, leaving no room for the teeth to emerge. For example, the jaw may be too small to fit the wisdom teeth. Teeth may also become twisted, tilted, or displaced as they try to emerge.
Impacted wisdom teeth are very common. They are often painless and do not cause problems. However, some professionals believe an impacted tooth pushes on the next tooth, which pushes the next tooth. Eventually, this can cause a misaligned bite. A partially emerged tooth can trap food, plaque, and other debris in the soft tissue around it, which can lead to inflammation and tenderness of the gums and unpleasant mouth odor. This is called pericoronitis. The retained debris may also lead to decay on the wisdom tooth or the neighboring tooth, or even bone loss.
Symptoms Of Impacted Tooth
There may be no symptoms of a fully impacted tooth. Symptoms of a partially impacted tooth may include:
- Bad breath
- Difficulty opening the mouth (occasionally)
- Pain or tenderness of the gums or jaw bone
- Prolonged headache or jaw ache
- Redness and swelling of the gums around the tooth
- Swollen lymph nodes of the neck (occasionally)
- Unpleasant taste when biting down on or near the area
- Visible gap where a tooth did not emerge
Exams & Tests
Your dentist will look for swollen tissue over the area where a tooth has not emerged, or has only partially emerged. The impacted tooth may be pressing on nearby teeth. The gums around the area may show signs of infection such as redness, drainage, and tenderness. As gums swell over affected wisdom teeth and then drain and tighten, it may feel like the tooth came in and then went back down again.
Dental x-rays confirm the presence of one or more teeth that have not emerged.
Treatment Of Impacted Tooth
No treatment may be needed if an impacted wisdom tooth is not causing any problems. If the affected tooth is somewhere towards the front, braces may be recommended to help put the tooth into the proper position.
Over-the-counter pain relievers may help if the impacted tooth causes discomfort. Warm salt water (one-half teaspoon or 3 grams of salt in one cup or 240 milliliters of water) or over-the-counter mouthwashes may be soothing to the gums.
Removal of the tooth is the usual treatment for an affected wisdom tooth. This is done in the dentist’s office. Most often, it will be done by an oral surgeon. Antibiotics may be prescribed before the extraction if the tooth is infected.
