All About Impacted Teeth
Impacted teeth are those that are blocked when they’re pushed through the gumline and erupt. A common example of that is wisdom teeth. They usually surface in between the ages of 17 and 21. dentists will look at these and call them third molars. They may become impacted if there isn’t enough room within the mouth for them. Some also may come in sidewards, or tilted into the jaw. Impacted teeth might be painless, where you don’t even realize they’re there. Other times, if they come in, the flap of your gums may be swollen and infected. This can hurt, and you might feel pain in the other teeth, or in the ear or side of the face. An impacted tooth, when not taken out, can lead to peritonitis, and if left untreated, this can spread to the throat and the neck, and it could cause a hospital stay and some surgery. Impacted teeth also can get cavities, and they can push these onto the other molars, and it can lead to tooth movement, gum disease, and also decay of not just that tooth but others, and it can change the way they come together. Some can even cause cysts and impacts within the jaw.
Typically, the symptoms include swelling of the gums and back area near the mouth, issues with opening the jaw, bad breath, bad tastes in the mouth, pain when opening the mouth, chewing, or biting, and this is a pain that can last for a long time, or it can be acute and then disappear and come back months later on.
The solution to this is simple. Your dentist will look at the area, and you may get some x-rays to look at which teeth are impacted. The symptoms will go away when the tooth leaves. The truth of it is though, there is no way to prevent an impacted tooth, but you can prevent cavities on this via brushing and flossing.
Sometimes, if you can’t get in right away, you can relieve the irritation by rinsing with salt water that’s warm, and over-the-counter pain relievers do help. If it continues to cause pain, does have an infection, or interferes with the other teeth, usually, they gotta take it out. It can take anywhere from 5-30 minutes, and it might have an infection that might require antibiotics.
Typically, if you need help with this, a maxillofacial surgeon will help with this, and before it’s removed, the dentist will talk about the procedure, along with the types of sedatives and anesthesia that you’ll need to get. You won’t be able to eat for at least 6 hours before surgery, and you will need to keep on schedule with the medicine.
Usually, the surgery is fast, and while you may have some swelling and irritation, do follow your protocol and take your antibiotics, along with taking it slow the next few days as your teeth start to heal from the impact that this had there.
