When you have one or more teeth that don’t break through the gums as expected, they are often referred to as impacted teeth. Adults and young people experience tooth impaction for various reasons, including things like genetics, teeth growing in the wrong direction, crowding in the mouth, or the result of orthodontic treatment. Wisdom teeth are the most commonly impacted teeth because they come in after the jaw stops growing. Quite often, there is no room in your mouth for these teeth to go, which is why they are often scheduled for impacted teeth removal. Lovett Dental Humble offers comprehensive general dental care that can help with impacted teeth.

What Are the Symptoms of Impacted Teeth?

diagram of impacted teeth For people receiving routine dental care, the signs of an impacted tooth or teeth are usually noticed in advance. If you haven’t received regular oral care, you may experience some or all of the symptoms below.

  • Swelling, bleeding, and redness in the gums around the impacted tooth.
  • Bad breath.
  • Pain when chewing, biting, or opening your mouth.
  • Difficulty opening your mouth.
  • A horrible taste in your mouth.
  • Tenderness in the jawbone or gums.

Early detection of an impacted tooth always yields the best results. When this occurs, your dentist can work to correct the situation before symptoms occur.

Treating Impacted Teeth

There are a few options available when it comes to treating an impacted tooth. Impacted teeth removal is an option in many cases, especially with wisdom teeth that no longer serve a practical purpose. However, if it’s a canine tooth that is impacted, your dentist will likely recommend other treatment options if possible.

One such option is to create space within the mouth to accommodate this important tooth. Orthodontics may be used to shift your teeth around to create a gap where the impacted tooth can erupt as needed. In some cases, surgery may be required to assist the impacted tooth is erupting.

Ignoring an impacted tooth is not an option. At least, it isn’t a good one. For instance, ignoring tooth impaction can cause the impacted tooth to decay (unerupted) as well as the teeth surrounding it or preventing it from coming in.

Other problems arising from ignoring impacted teeth include a variety of negative side effects. Some of these side effects include:

  • Cavities
  • Infections
  • Misalignment
  • Bone and tooth loss in the area of the impaction

Fortunately, there are many treatment options available to consider depending on your unique situation. We will work with you to detect potential teeth impactions early to take appropriate corrective measures right away. This is only one example of why it is important to visit your dentist for routine cleaning and exams regularly. That way, your dentist can monitor possible issues such as tooth impaction.

Treating Impacted Teeth

Whether you’re dealing with impacted wisdom teeth or other teeth impactions, it is important to work with your dentist to develop an effective treatment plan. At Lovett Dental Humble, we have many tools available to help you with your impacted tooth problems. These are just a few of the things we can do to help you address your problem.

We also offer sedation dentistry to help manage dental anxiety for uneasy patients about the need for this type of dental treatment.

Lovett Dental Humble understands the unique challenges Texas families face when it comes to maintaining healthy smiles. We offer a wide range of preventative and corrective services to help you put your best smile forward. Contact us today by calling 281-441-9000 to learn more about tooth impaction, how it can be prevented, and various options available to treat your condition.