An impacted or unerupted tooth is basically a tooth that failed to emerge or fully pass through the gum tissues. There are several reasons why this natural eruption did not take place and these include among others, dense soft tissues, cyst, and another tooth. There are various treatments for an unerupted tooth and these include extraction of the tooth, extraction of the impacted tooth, and surgical exposure of the impacted tooth, just to name some. If you are considering exposure of impacted teeth in Houston TX or elsewhere, here’s some basic information about this treatment that you need to know.
Commonly, the wisdom tooth is the most prevalent case of impacted tooth. Next are the canine teeth or the eye teeth. Other common impacted cases are second molars, the lower jaw cuspids and the bicuspids. In general, the older the patient, the lesser is the chance for the impacted tooth to erupt naturally. When you have an impacted tooth that is not your wisdom tooth, early detection is crucial as it can greatly affect the kind of treatment that you’ll have and its success.
If for example, your treatment is exposure of the impacted tooth, this entails exposing the said tooth. Once it is exposed, your dental practitioner will then attach an orthodontic appliance to aid its eruption. A periodontal packing may be attached over the tooth temporarily depending on a patient’s case until his post-operative appointment. Further treatments may be needed to move the tooth properly into the dental arch. During the procedure, a patient may have several anesthetic options including IV sedation, local anesthesia, etc.
On the other hand, if your impacted tooth has to be removed, the tooth in question is exposed and moved back and forth to loosen it from the jawbone and ligaments that hold it in place. This option is taken when the tooth won’t move to its proper position despite all efforts taken. A patient then is given dental options to replace the missing tooth.
Got dental issues that affect you feel about yourself? Get back the confidence you lost by checking out Dr. Holly Gregory, DDS today.
Commonly, the wisdom tooth is the most prevalent case of impacted tooth. Next are the canine teeth or the eye teeth. Other common impacted cases are second molars, the lower jaw cuspids and the bicuspids. In general, the older the patient, the lesser is the chance for the impacted tooth to erupt naturally. When you have an impacted tooth that is not your wisdom tooth, early detection is crucial as it can greatly affect the kind of treatment that you’ll have and its success.
If for example, your treatment is exposure of the impacted tooth, this entails exposing the said tooth. Once it is exposed, your dental practitioner will then attach an orthodontic appliance to aid its eruption. A periodontal packing may be attached over the tooth temporarily depending on a patient’s case until his post-operative appointment. Further treatments may be needed to move the tooth properly into the dental arch. During the procedure, a patient may have several anesthetic options including IV sedation, local anesthesia, etc.
On the other hand, if your impacted tooth has to be removed, the tooth in question is exposed and moved back and forth to loosen it from the jawbone and ligaments that hold it in place. This option is taken when the tooth won’t move to its proper position despite all efforts taken. A patient then is given dental options to replace the missing tooth.
Got dental issues that affect you feel about yourself? Get back the confidence you lost by checking out Dr. Holly Gregory, DDS today.