An impacted tooth grows at an angle or moves into the gum space needed by another tooth, damaging its root or crown. If the impacted tooth is left untreated, the neighboring tooth loosens and falls out. Also, an impacted tooth leads to other serious health problems.
Causes of an impacted tooth
- Overcrowding in the dental arch
- Too large tooth to fit in the space required for growth
- Effect of accidental tooth damage on the erupting adult tooth beneath
- Genetic factors predisposed to damage the teeth or jaw
- Tooth twisted or grown at an angle that does not fit
Types of impaction
- Partial impaction- An impacted tooth that doesn’t come through the gum fully because of its angle and closeness to another tooth
- Angular impaction- An impacted tooth that grows in the gum at an angle, so it cannot erupt
- Vertical impaction- An impacted tooth that erupts at the correct angle but is too close to a neighboring tooth
- Horizontal impaction- An impacted tooth that grows at an angle and risks damaging a neighboring tooth
Diagnosis of impacted teeth
Many people are unaware of an impacted tooth for many years. There are no such common symptoms of this problem. The only way to diagnose an impacted tooth is through dental consultation.
A dentist conducts an examination or x-ray to confirm that a tooth is coming through the gum at a crooked angle or it can erupt.
Some people experience painful or swollen gum, headache, or difficulty in opening their mouths full. But, these things don’t confirm an impacted tooth; they only make people aware that something is wrong with their tooth.
Treatment for impacted teeth
An orthodontist has a solution for your impacted tooth. No matter what the condition of the tooth is and how badly it has impacted the surrounding teeth, an orthodontist can treat it.
In the list of impacted teeth treatments, braces have an important place. When nothing works, then orthodontists prescribe braces for impacted teeth. And truly speaking, they are effective.
Braces for impacted teeth: To reposition an impacted tooth, braces are prescribed. Braces keep the impacted tooth upright and in its proper position, making it feasible for biting and chewing.
Sometimes, repositioning doesn’t happen as expected. The impacted tooth doesn’t erupt into the provided area. This becomes serious and requires an uncovering operation performed by a dentist.
The operation exposes the impacted tooth. But, this doesn’t create any problem as braces handle the exposed tooth properly. When fitted with the impacted tooth, braces facilitate its movement into the mouth.
Other than this, braces play an important role when an impacted tooth results in crowding or crooked teeth. Braces bring these numerous teeth into their desired positions, resulting in a straight and properly spaced arch of teeth.
Braces are used for aesthetic purposes as well as promote oral health because they make teeth simpler to clean.
Braces for impacted teeth are an effective and long-term solution. But, make sure you use them under the guidance of an experienced orthodontist.