One of the most common problems we treat is impacted wisdom teeth. For most patients, the best approach to wisdom teeth is simply to remove them, preventing further complications down the road.

What is an Impacted Tooth?

Most people have no problem growing 32 adult teeth. But often, the jaw is simply too small to accommodate the remaining four wisdom teeth, which can prevent the wisdom teeth from erupting. When teeth fail to erupt, they are impacted and are thus not in the proper position for chewing or cleaning.

Types Of Impactions

During your consultation, your oral surgeon will take X-rays and other images, which will be used to evaluate whether your wisdom teeth are impacted, if there is room for them to erupt, and how difficult it will be to have them removed.

These images may reveal a few different types of impactions. These include:

  • Soft Tissue Impaction. This type of impaction means there is insufficient room for the gum tissue to retract, which makes it challenging to adequately clean the tooth. 
  • Partial Bony Impaction. This condition occurs when there is enough space to allow the wisdom tooth to erupt just partially. However, the tooth cannot function properly in the chewing process and creates problems with routine hygiene.
  • Complete Bony Impaction. This condition means there is no space for the tooth to erupt. The tooth remains embedded in the jawbone and typically requires complex surgical techniques for removal. 

 

Soft Tissue

Partial Bony

Complete Bony

Schedule Your Consultation

if you believe you may be suffering from an impacted tooth, contact Minto Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at (251) 990-5959 to schedule your consultation.