Dental Encyclopedia · Oral Surgery
Impacted Wisdom Tooth
Impacted Wisdom Tooth
An impacted wisdom tooth is a wisdom tooth (third molar) that is buried in the jawbone or the gum and has not erupted normally. It is known that many are only partially erupted or lying at an angle, which can cause problems for the neighboring teeth and gums.
In plain terms
Put simply, it is a wisdom tooth that has not come through properly and is buried in the gum or bone, or lying on its side. When it is buried at an angle, a toothbrush cannot reach it, so it readily causes inflammation or decay.
Because food gets trapped around an impacted wisdom tooth and brushing is difficult, it is known that it can cause inflammation of the surrounding gum (pericoronitis), decay in the adjacent molar and root resorption. Whether to extract it is judged according to the symptoms and the position.
A wisdom tooth can lie close to the nerve canal in the lower jaw (inferior alveolar nerve) or to the maxillary sinus in the upper jaw, so assessing the distance from the nerve canal with 3D CT before extraction is known to help with safety. Depending on the difficulty, conscious sedation (sleep) may be chosen.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
- Q. Do impacted wisdom teeth have to be taken out?
- Extraction is known to be recommended when there is pain, inflammation or a risk of damage to the adjacent tooth, or when problems recur. However, whether and when to extract vary with the position, the symptoms and the distance from the nerve canal, so we advise you after 3D CT diagnosis.
This entry is for general information. Diagnosis and treatment depend on individual conditions.