Understanding Impacted Teeth and What Wisdom Teeth Are?
(Part 3)
The Complications of Impaction
Wisdom teeth impaction is severely painful with the pressure they produce over gums and the nerves of other teeth, resulting in possible dental damage and further complications down the line.
- Gum Flap Infections: Partially erupted wisdom teeth also cause gaps or gum flaps to emerge, where bacteria could teem and spread, causing long-term infection.
- Benign Impactions: There are also times when impacted wisdom teeth don’t cause any problems by the luck of the draw. It all comes on a case-by-case basis.
- Oral Care is Difficult: However, because third molars are difficult to clean, they’re more susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease than other tooth types.
- Removal is the Recommended Recourse: The primary way of dealing with impacted molars that cause pain or other dental issues is removal or extraction.
- Preventative Removal: Some oral surgeons and dentists also advise to remove “benign” impacted wisdom teeth so that they don’t cause any future complications.
Partial Impaction vs. Full Impaction
Fully impacted wisdom teeth aren’t visible to the eye and are usually found through dental x-rays or digital scans. They’re hidden under the gums, and you’re usually made aware of them through symptoms like infection and pain.
A partially impacted (or partially erupted) third molar is slightly visible because part of its crown has erupted but there’s no room for a full eruption to take place.
Wisdom teeth with no impaction are like normal teeth. They’re fully erupted and visible to the eye and only their roots are below the gum line.
Whether the tooth is fully or partially impacted, it may go through the following scenarios.
- The third molar grows at an angle next to the second molar.
- The third molar grows at an angle moving towards the back of the mouth.
- The third molar grows at a right angle to the other teeth, as though it’s lying down within the jawbone.
- The third molar grows straight down or up like other teeth but still trapped inside the jawbone somehow.
Non-impacted third molars shouldn’t cause a problem. But if they do, it’s still usually because there’s not that much room left at the back of the mouth and jaw, leading to crowding and pressure. (To be continued)