Impacted Wisdom Teeth

What is an impacted wisdom tooth?

An impacted wisdom tooth is characterized by the tooth’s inability to fully erupt from the gum line, and as a result, is either trapped in the jawbone or in a position where it is being forced into one of the molars.

The cause of an impacted wisdom tooth is usually due to it being unable to erupt from the gum due to overcrowding of the teeth that have already erupted.

How to prevent an impacted wisdom tooth?

Wisdom teeth impact cannot necessarily be prevented due to the nature of their growth. Typically, they are within the jawbone for the first 16 years of a person’s life. From around 16 onwards their wisdom teeth may start to erupt, although in some cases they may not.

Removal of wisdom teeth before eruption or impact can pose risks for patients, and often the dentist will suggest that the teeth partially erupt for removal to be considered. In cases where there is an abscess or other type of infection in the area, the dentist will consider removing the wisdom tooth.

How to treat an impacted wisdom tooth?

When a wisdom tooth is impacted, the dentist will need to expose the tooth through the incision of the gum. In some cases of impacted wisdom teeth, the tooth may be caught under the jawbone, when this is the case, the dentist may need to extract a small segment of bone to free the tooth. The tooth is extracted from the gum and the gum is stitched up.

The type of anaesthetic used on patients can vary depending on how hard it is to extract the wisdom tooth.  Local anaesthetic is most used, which essentially numbs the area entirely.

Sometimes local anaesthetic is combined with intravenous sedation, which relaxes the patients. General anaesthetic is when the patient is put to sleep, these procedures typically happen in a day and the patients can go home afterwards. Patients will need somebody to help them commute to and from their extraction after being given general anaesthetic.

How to spot an impacted wisdom tooth?

A wisdom tooth will present the following symptoms.

• Bleeding gums.
• Tender gums.
• Swelling in the gums.
• Bad taste in the mouth.
• A bad smell coming from the mouth.
• Difficulty/ soreness when eating.
• Pain when brushing and flossing.