Impacted tooth
What is an impacted tooth?
An impacted tooth is a tooth that gets blocked on its way to the mouth. Wisdom teeth are the most common impacted teeth. Wisdom teeth begin to come through the ages of seventeen and twenty one. Dentists refer to these teeth as third molars. They become impacted because there is not enough room in your mouth for them. Wisdom teeth may also try to come in sideways or may be tilted in your jaw.
An impacted tooth could not cause any pain at first and you may not even think that it is even there. However, when an impacted wisdom tooth tries to come in, the flap of gum on top of it may swell. This can hurt and you may feel pain in the nearby teeth, in the ear, or at the side of your face. Moreover, food particles can even get stuck in this gum flap. This can lead to an infection called pericoronitis. If this is left untreated, the infection can spread to the throat and into the neck.
Impacted teeth can have cavities. They can push on neighbouring molars and lead to the movement of teeth. Impacted teeth can change the way your teeth come together. Rarely will impacted teeth cause cysts or other growths in your jaw.
What are some of the symptoms of impacted teeth?
Some of the symptoms of impacted teeth include
- swelling of the gums at the back of your mouth
- difficulty in opening your jaw
- bad breath
- a bad taste in your mouth
- pain when you open your mouth
- pain when chewing or biting
- recurring pain that may disappear and resurface
What is the diagnosis for impacted teeth?
Your dentist will examine the area and may require some X-rays. These X-rays can show where your wisdom teeth are and if they are impacted.
How long do you have to endure impacted teeth?
When the tooth is taken out, the symptoms will eventually go away.
How can you prevent impacted teeth?
There is no way to prevent impacted teeth. You can prevent cavities on impacted teeth by brushing and flossing regularly.
How do you treat impacted teeth?
You can relieve minor irritation by rinsing with warm saltwater. Make this remedy with half a teaspoon of salt and eight ounces of water. Over-the-counter pain relievers may also help. If the tooth continues to cause pain, is infected, or interferes with nearby teeth then the usual treatment is to extract the tooth. Extracting a tooth may take five to thirty minutes, depending on its location.
Patients are referred to an oral or a maxillofacial surgeon to have an impacted tooth removed. Before a tooth is removed, your dentist or your surgeon will discuss the procedure with you. They will also discuss the types of anaesthesia and sedatives they will use. You will not be able to eat for six hours prior to the surgery. If you take any medications then you should keep them on schedule. It is best to have someone drive you to the appointment and drive you home afterwards.
After the surgery, there will be swelling of the cheeks and the jaw. It will be hard to eat certain foods. You should follow your surgeon's instructions in order to recover properly. The complications of surgery are rare but they do occur.
An impacted tooth may not bother you or affect the nearby teeth. In this case, you will not need any immediate treatment. However, your dentist will recommend that you have the tooth extracted in order to prevent any future problems.
Several people have all four of their wisdom teeth taken out at once. Sometimes this surgery is performed even before the teeth start coming in. This will prevent any future problems. This is usually done in an oral and maxillofacial surgeon's office. Local anaesthesia with sedation is used. It is better to have your wisdom teeth removed before you turn twenty one. This makes the surgery less complicated and allows your tissues and bones to heal better.
When should you call a professional?
If you are experiencing pain in your back teeth then you should contact your dentist. If you visit your dentist on a regular basis then they will be able to keep track of your wisdom teeth. They will let you know if you need to have them taken out already. Your dentist may take extra X-rays in order to check your wisdom teeth because routine X-rays do not often show these.
What is the prognosis after impacted tooth extraction?
The outlook after the extraction of the impacted tooth is excellent.