What is impaction and how does this relate to my teeth? When we discuss impaction with our patients, we talk about impaction in terms of a couple scenarios. A tooth that has not come in, or erupted, as expected is impacted. A tooth that cannot erupt due to lack of room is also impacted. A third case of impaction may occur as the tooth may be coming in the wrong direction or not be in the right position.
Causes of Impaction
For some people, impaction is a part of their life for no apparent reason. It just happens. Others can easily make the genetic connection as they realize that one or more of their parents had an impacted tooth. We most often hear of impaction in the realm of wisdom teeth, which are the last adult teeth to erupt. However, developing children who are getting their permanent teeth may have impacted teeth as well. Sometimes teeth do not erupt. Sometimes teeth erupt in odd places. Sometimes teeth collide with the roots of neighboring teeth. While one might think the science of erupting teeth is easy to understand, studying the “bumper car effect” of erupting teeth is quite complex.
Should we Keep an Impacted Tooth?
We do not have a one size fits all approach to impaction. By taking an x-ray, we will be able to tell if you have an impacted tooth. The x-ray will clearly depict the extent of the issue. In some cases, we do suggest removing the impacted tooth. Other times we can expand the jaw to make additional room for the permanent teeth to erupt.
Come into our office and we will see if there is a problem under your gums. The routine check-up is your best way to stay on top of impaction, especially if you have a genetic history of crowding. We look forward to talking with you soon.
Dentist Bend, OR • Dental Blog • Aesthetic Dentistry of Bend Dr. Thomas E. Wold has created this blog to help educate the community. Like a Post? Please use the "share it" button to post to Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. Aesthetic Dentistry of Bend, LLC - Thomas E. Wold DMD, 124 NW Hawthorne Ave. Bend, OR. 97703 • (541) 389-0261 • wolddmd.com • 9/21/2023 • Page Keywords: dentist Bend OR •
What is impaction and how does this relate to my teeth? When we discuss impaction with our patients, we talk about impaction in terms of a couple scenarios. A tooth that has not come in, or erupted, as expected is impacted. A tooth that cannot erupt due to lack of room is also impacted. A third case of impaction may occur as the tooth may be coming in the wrong direction or not be in the right position.