Although Phan Orthodontics does not remove impacted wisdom teeth, it is extremely important that you have this issue addressed. If the situation is left untreated, an impacted wisdom tooth can become infected and cause pain and swelling to your jaw or other parts of your throat and neck. Impacted wisdom teeth are also vulnerable to cavities.
Our orthodontist, Dr. Derick Phan will be happy to refer you a dental professional who will be able to provide the necessary treatment. For help in locating a practice that can extract your wisdom teeth; and preserve your smile and enhance your oral health, please call our office today at 408.251.7901.
In some cases, a tooth does not break through the gum and remains stuck in the bone and gum tissues. This is known as an impacted tooth. The wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the teeth that most commonly become impacted. These teeth often become impacted because there is not enough room in the dental arch for them to fully and properly erupt. Impacted wisdom teeth are typically removed in order to avoid complications with the health of the teeth, gums, and jawbone.
The second most commonly impacted teeth are the upper canines (also known as the eye teeth). If the canine teeth do not erupt as normal, the doctor will check the position of the adjacent teeth to make certain that the canines have sufficient space to grow in. The doctor may also take X-rays to determine whether the canines are impacted, to check the impacted tooth’s position, and to assess any effects on the neighboring teeth and structures. In most cases, the doctor will create a treatment plan to expose the impacted canines. To expose an impacted upper canine, the doctor will typically remove the gum tissue that covers the tooth. For some patients, this is enough to allow the tooth to grow in normally. For others, the doctor may bond an orthodontic attachment to the impacted tooth. This attachment is connected to a small chain that is used to apply gentle force to bring the tooth into position.
