Impacted wisdom teeth that cause pain or other dental issues are usually removed (extracted) surgically. If impacted teeth are causing pain, infection, or other dental damage, Orthodontist in Matthews NC generally recommend wisdom teeth extraction as a preventative measure to reduce the risk of future problems. In some cases, wisdom teeth are impacted because they don't have enough room to come out; in others, they start to come out crooked or even sideways and present problems for the other molars in the back of the jaw. In addition, many dental insurance plans have a waiting period before covering wisdom tooth extractions, so it's important to plan ahead. It's also difficult to floss when the wisdom tooth presses so hard against the second molar, which means that the space can't be cleaned. The second most common teeth to be impacted are the maxillary canines, also known as cusp teeth or upper teeth.
Dentists will take dental x-rays to see if your teeth are impacted and if your jaw or other teeth are damaged. When this happens, and the teeth that form in the jaw stay there instead of coming out, they are called impacted teeth. If you feel pain from an impacted tooth, you may be able to use over-the-counter medications to provide temporary relief. Pericoronitis causes swelling and inflammation in the gum tissue near the impact area of the wisdom teeth.
Because these teeth play a larger role in the mouth, doctors are more likely to recommend treatments that encourage these teeth to erupt rather than removing them. Not being able to clean up food debris and bacteria found between the gums and the partially erupted wisdom tooth can cause a gum disease called pericoronitis. This could be due to crooked teeth surrounding the eruption site or a space that is simply too small for the new tooth to emerge. If you know that you're going to need a wisdom tooth extraction or if you have children who are about to enter that age of wisdom, it's important to talk to your insurance provider about their dental coverage to make sure that wisdom tooth extractions are included in your plan.
The frequency of impacts of upper canines on the general population could also be due to the fact that canines tend to erupt later than neighboring incisors and premolars, increasing the likelihood that they will be left in a small or otherwise suboptimal space to erupt. The treatment of impacted teeth generally involves extraction (extraction) or oral surgery to reposition the eruption path, which basically creates a new way for the tooth to come out as it should. Other times, however, they must be removed to prevent infections, damage to other teeth, or other complications. Regular dental checkups from an early age can help dentists identify impacted teeth early on and provide a treatment plan when needed.
