What Are the Problems Associated with Impacted Teeth?
Posted on 8/22/2022 by Tessa Smith-Greisch
Impacted teeth are third molars or wisdom teeth at the back of your mouth that have insufficient space for emerging fully. An oral surgeon can fully rectify this condition by an appropriate surgery or extraction. However, if not managed, it can lead to serious problems. Here are the most common problems associated with impacted teeth:
Possible Damage to Other Teeth
Impacted teeth often cause damage to other teeth. This is because the roots of impacted teeth grow toward the roots of other teeth, which can cause them to become misaligned or crooked. Therefore, it's important to have an orthodontist check for impacted teeth before you begin treatment for other dental issues such as crowded or misaligned teeth (malocclusion).
Infections
Impacted teeth can easily become infected since they cannot clean themselves properly. Further, if bacteria are within your impacted teeth, your gums can easily become swollen and infected. This type of infection is called a periodical abscess, which occurs when an area of bone at the tip of an infected tooth dies and becomes filled with pus. A periodical abscess can be very painful, but it can also become life-threatening if it spreads to other parts of your body through your bloodstream (this is known as septicemia).
Cysts
Cysts are fluid-filled sacs that can form around an impacted tooth. They usually form in the soft tissue of your face or jaw, but sometimes they can be painful and affect your facial structure. Thus, an orthodontist treatment can help to control this condition.
Pain
Impacted teeth can cause pain because they don't have enough space to erupt or push through the gums. This often makes them grow sideways instead of up or down, leading to crowding, crooked teeth, and other issues.
Malocclusion (Bad Bite)
A bad bite occurs when there's insufficient room for all of your teeth to fit together correctly without overlapping or crowding each other out of place. An impacted tooth may contribute to this condition because it prevents some of your lower teeth from coming together properly.
Dental Blog | Madison Oral Surgery and Dental Implants The doctors at Madison Oral Surgery and Dental Implants have provided this blog to help our patients and the community. We hope our blog will cover the many topics that you and your family may be interested in. Madison Oral Surgery & Dental Implants, 2921 Landmark Place, Suite 100, Madison, WI 53713, (608) 960-7650, madisonoralsurgeons.com, 6/6/2023, Page Phrases: Oral Surgeon, Dental Implants, All on 4, Wisdom Teeth Extractions