Impacted Tooth

When a tooth fails to fully erupt or come out of the gums, it is called an impacted tooth. Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the most common teeth to become impacted because they are the last to develop. They begin to form at about nine years of age but don’t emerge through the gum tissue until the late teens or early twenties, at which point the jaws may have already stopped growing.

Space Invasion

By the time wisdom teeth try to claim their space in the jaw, other teeth have already settled into theirs. If there was no space reserved for them, they try to squeeze themselves in with the rest of the teeth, possibly causing overcrowding and/or twisted, tilted or displaced teeth. That’s why sometimes wisdom teeth never get to come out, so they stay either completely or partially submerged under the gums.

Add an “oversized wisdom tooth” to the equation, and it can make matters worse for the rest of the teeth community. As it tries to come out, the impacted tooth pushes other teeth which can cause an uneven bite.

A partially emerged tooth may also cause pericoronitis, an infection caused by bacteria from food, plaque and other debris trapped in the space between the impacted tooth and its surrounding gums.

Deep Revelation

Only your dentist can tell for sure using an X-ray if you have an impacted tooth, but the following symptoms may be your first clue:

• Pain or tenderness of the gums that may be accompanied by swelling and redness

• Space in the gums where the tooth did not come out

• Bad breath and unpleasant taste when biting down or near the area, usually indicating pericoronitis

• Swollen lymph nodes and difficulty opening the mouth in some cases

To Extract or Not To Extract

Sometimes an impacted tooth will just sit under the gums in peace, seemingly not causing any trouble. But usually, the only recourse is to extract the tooth, a procedure that will typically be performed by a dentist or oral surgeon.

In the meantime, to relieve any pain or irritation it may cause, experts recommend taking over-the-counter pain relievers or gargling warm salt water or mouthwashes to soothe your gums.

When wisdom teeth don’t cooperate with nature, the wisest thing to do is to simply see your dentist.