Impacted Teeth Fort Wayne, IN

Teeth that are trapped in the jaw bone, blocked by other teeth, or stuck in dense gum tissue and cannot erupt properly are referred to as “impacted teeth.” These teeth can either be partially or fully impacted and can lead to oral health complications if the surrounding gums become infected or if surrounding teeth become affected. Each tooth plays a critical role in the function of the entire mouth, so treatment of impacted teeth is necessary to ensure proper oral health. Dr. Mulokozi Lugakingira can effectively diagnose and treat these problem areas before they become major oral health concerns.

An impacted tooth may be caused by:

• Overcrowding
• Extra teeth (wisdom teeth)
• No room to erupt properly
• Tooth displacement
• Unusual oral growths

Since the most common types of impacted teeth are canines and wisdom teeth, the key to effective treatment is early diagnosis. Children should receive dental x-rays around the age of seven to see the size and position of the teeth and monitor how the teeth are erupting. Subsequent x-rays can also help with monitoring the eruption of wisdom teeth, which generally begin to affect the mouth between the ages of 17 and 25. It is important to note that by age 40, impacted teeth can be permanently fused into position and may cause additional oral health complications. We recommend that these problem teeth be extracted before such situations arise.

Without treating impacted teeth, you could suffer from several complications, including:

• Damage to surrounding teeth
• Jaw pain or tenderness
• Redness or swelling of gums
• Chronic headaches
• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Infection of surrounding gums
• Tooth or gum abscess
• Tooth crowding