As we all know, the third molars are the last teeth to erupt into the mouth. Usually, they begin to erupt between the ages of 17 and 25. Whether or not these teeth should be left in the mouth is a controversial issue. If they erupt in the correct position and don’t harm surrounding tissues, the tooth can be left in place. Considering the damage that may be caused by an abnormally-positioned tooth fused to the jawbone, extraction may be decided upon. In case of lack of space behing the tooth, eruption of the teeth may be impeded by gum-bone and other neighbouring teeth.
Teeth which remain in the jawbone with various reasons even when it is time to erupt are called “impacted teeth”. Third molar teeth, also known as wisdom teeth, are the most common impacted teeth. The reason why impacted wisdom teeth can be problematic is because these teeth are not needed genetically and therefore our jaws are getting smaller. As our jaws get smaller, the wisdom cannot find sufficient space and consequently cannot erupt.
These teeth stay impacted in two ways;
Completely embedded in the bone.
Partially embedded in the bone and partially erupted in the gum.
These unerupted or partially erupted teeth can cause several problems. These are briefly;
As a result, an impacted tooth is a potential source of danger for other impacted teeth and surrounding tissues. The necessity to extract every tooth determined to stay impacted as soon as possible is an approach adopted by all oral surgeons today.
In the extraction of impacted teeth, the difficulty level of the procedure to be applied depends on tooth location, shape and size. There might be a slight swelling, pain and bleeding following a simple extraction. There might also be some complex extractions requiring more special operations. Measures taken and advices given by your dentist minimize side effects.
