Impacted Wisdom Teeth
What is an impacted tooth?
When wisdom teeth begin to erupt, one of the biggest issues our patients experience is impaction. Impacted teeth occur when they fail to erupt in proper alignment, or they fail to emerge through the bone or gum tissue. This often causes pain and can lead to issues like severe infection, crowding of the teeth, tooth decay, or loss of surrounding teeth.
Through an oral examination and x-rays of the mouth, Dr. Pasternak can determine the position of your wisdom teeth and identify if any existing or potential problems exist.
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Contact our office at (248) 829-3635 or use the form below to request a consultation.
Soft Tissue
Occurs when the upper part of the wisdom tooth, or the crown, penetrates through the bone but does not erupt through the gum tissue. Since the gum tissue cannot retract, the wisdom tooth cannot be cleaned.
Partial Bony
This type of impaction happens when the wisdom tooth stays situated inside of the jawbone but only partially erupts. A partially erupted wisdom tooth cannot function as a normal tooth, and often creates issues with cleaning and eating.
Full Bony
When there is a lack of necessary space for wisdom teeth to erupt, they will remain trapped beneath the bone in the jaw. Horizontal and vertical shifting of the teeth can further complicate the impaction and interfere with adjacent teeth. In some cases, the shape or size of the jaw bone or other structures can contribute to the issue and cause the removal of these teeth to be significantly more complex.