Impacted Tooth

 

An impacted tooth is a tooth that fails to erupt in the mouth when it should, or that becomes lodged in the jawbone or soft tissue. The most common impacted teeth are wisdom teeth (third molars), but canines and other teeth can also become impacted.

Impacted teeth are often unable to find space in the mouth due to narrow jaws, misaligned teeth, or genetic factors. This can result in the tooth remaining completely within the jawbone or only partially erupting.

While not every impacted tooth presents symptoms, many can cause symptoms such as pain,, swelling,, limited jaw movement,, bad breath, and inflammation. There's also a risk of cysts or tumors developing around the impacted tooth. It can also cause pressure, decay, and misalignment on neighboring teeth.

Treatment is usually surgical. The impacted tooth is removed by a specialist oral surgeon under local or general anesthesia. Early diagnosis and intervention can prevent more serious problems in the future.