Any tooth that fails to emerge completely through gum tissue is referred to as impacted.  The most common teeth to become impacted are the third molars, more popularly referred to as wisdom teeth.  If your wisdom teeth are impacted, the best option for removing one or all of them is through the use of sedation dentistry in Yorkville.

Teeth do not emerge for a couple of reasons.  The jaw might not be large enough to accommodate all of your teeth.  If a tooth is unable to push through, it might become twisted or tilted resulting in its growth sideways.  Or a tooth might just get stuck in gum tissue or bone preventing it from emerging.

Not everyone who has impacted third molars must have them removed – in fact, impacted wisdom teeth are very common.  Quite often they are painless, and if left alone might cause no major issues.  But it is thought that an impacted tooth could push on the next tooth, which pushes on the next tooth, and so on.  This process could evolve into a bite alignment problem.

If it is determined that impacted third molars are to be extracted, sedation dentistry allows the patient and dental provider to determine the extent of sedation needed to undergo the procedure.   Very fearful or anxious patients might select total sedation.  If your dental provider determines that removing your impacted molars may be done using conscious sedation, you remain in a conscious state, however you are sedated.  And although you remain conscious, many patients report that they do not remember anything and feel they have slept during the procedure.

Impacted teeth or partially emerged teeth that are not extracted can create other concerns such as food becoming trapped or plaque build- up.  This can lead to inflammation and tenderness in the gum tissue, which can cause an unpleasant mouth odor, headaches, redness or swelling of the gums around the impacted tooth and possible swollen lymph nodes or difficulty in opening the mouth.

Your dental provider will examine the area, take dental x-rays to determine the presence of one or more teeth that have not emerged, and make recommendations for the correct course of action.  If extraction is warranted, sedation dentistry will provide the most comfortable option.  Treatment and extraction is most always successful when symptoms persist with impacted teeth.

For more information and to schedule your consultation, please contact the office of Dr. Nicholas Kemp at 416.922.1012 today.