Wisdom teeth are the final set of molars that grow in the back of your mouth. They are also referred to as ‘the third molars’ because they appear after the second molars grow out.
Wisdom teeth can be great if they grow vertically and are aligned properly, but they are known to grow diagonally and horizontally, and cause problems for their owners. This uneven growth can cause many problems including crowding, damage to the adjacent second molars and impact the jawbone. Furthermore, wisdom teeth sometimes do not fully erupt through the gum. In instances like this, they are termed as ‘impacted’.
What is Impacted wisdom teeth?
A tooth is said to become impacted when there isn’t enough space in the dental arch, and its growth is affected by gum, bone or another tooth. There are different kinds of impaction.
- Mesioangular impaction happens when the tooth grows pointing to the front of the mouth.
- Vertical impaction is when the formed wisdom tooth does not fully erupt through the gum.
- Horizontal impaction, which is less common, happens when the tooth is angled sideways, growing into the roots of the second molar.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Impacted teeth are usually removed because of the problems that they may cause if you leave them in your mouth. A lot of the times, the damage caused by impacted wisdom teeth is not visible on the surface. Your Bayside Dental & Orthodontics dentist will take full X-rays of the mouth to see what is happening underneath the gum and to determine what type of extraction may be needed.