Impacted tooth

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Tooth anatomy

Impacted tooth

Alternative Names:

Tooth - unemerged; Unemerged tooth; Dental impaction; Unerupted tooth
Treatment:

The goal of treatment is to relieve irritation of the mouth caused by the impacted tooth. If the impacted tooth is not causing infection or inflammation, or is not affecting the alignment of the other teeth, no treatment may be necessary.

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Over-the-counter pain relievers may help. Warm salt water (one-half teaspoon of salt in one cup of water) or over-the-counter mouthwashes may be soothing to the gums.

Extraction (removal) of the tooth is the usual treatment for an impacted tooth. This often is performed in the dentist's office under local anesthesia. If the tooth is deeply impacted or difficulty with extraction is expected, the dentist may refer the person to an oral surgeon for tooth removal. Antibiotics may be required prior to tooth extraction if the area around the tooth is infected.

Expectations (prognosis):

Impacted teeth may cause no problems for some people and may never require treatment. If the impacted tooth is causing symptoms, treatment -- including extraction -- is usually successful in resolving the symptoms.

It is often preferable to have wisdom teeth extracted when a patient is under 30, due to the flexibility of bone, which will allow an easier extraction and better healing. As a person ages, the bone becomes more rigid and complications can develop.

Complications: