by Malavi Sivakanesan • 17 February 2025 • 5 min read
An impacted wisdom tooth arises when there is insufficient space for it to emerge correctly, resulting in partial or full obstruction of the jawbone or gums. This can result in pain, swelling, infection, and alignment concerns, necessitating treatment such as extraction or consultation with an orthodontist to avoid further complications.
Causes of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
There are the following causes that lead to the impaction of the third molars:
- Teeth Crowding: If there is not enough space in the jaw for the wisdom teeth to grow, they may become impacted.
- Blockage: Extrusion occurs when the teeth cannot erupt appropriately due to a blockage.
- Size of the jaw: When the expansion in jaw size is not enough to hold the new set of molars.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth Symptoms
Although some are asymptomatic, others may lead to, gum tenderness, swelling, jaw stiffness, difficulty in mouth opening, headache, ear ache and aches around the cheeks and neck areas.
- Pain: Especially discomfort around the area of impacted wisdom teeth located.
- Inflammation: Swelling in the vicinity of affected gums and tissues.
- Difficulty in Mouth Opening: This is a result of pressure from the impacted tooth.
- Discoloured Tooth: Due to dark staining that occurs from infection and decay.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth and Their Effect
An impacted wisdom tooth can cause other problems by applying pressure on neighbouring teeth, which may result in:
- Damage To Neighbor Teeth: Pressure is exerted by wisdom teeth pushing other teeth. They may get damaged or have a high chance of decaying. This pressure weakens the adjacent teeth to decompose and makes them vulnerable to cavities.
- Crowding: Pressure from the impacted wisdom teeth causes crowding of adjacent teeth, which may lead to the misalignment of teeth. It requires braces or other orthodontic treatment to align the affected teeth.
- Some wisdom teeth impaction may be painful and can have adverse effects on general oral health. If you are experiencing impacted wisdom teeth, it is advised to consult with your Orthodontist in London for proper dental care.
Types of Impacted Wisdom Teeth
There are various forms of impacted wisdom teeth, each with its own complications:
- Partially impacted wisdom tooth: Emerges, producing discomfort, oedema, and the risk of infection.
- Fully Impacted Wisdom Tooth: Remains stuck beneath the gums, potentially misaligning neighbouring teeth.
- Horizontal Impacted Wisdom Tooth: Grows sideways, pushing against nearby teeth.
- Decayed Impacted Wisdom Tooth: Hard to clean, leading to cavities and infection.
- Impacted Wisdom Tooth Abscess: Infection causes a pus-filled swelling, needing urgent care.
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
Impacted wisdom teeth can be diagnosed through the following techniques:
- Clinical assessment: It entails checking for any signs of impaction that include pain, redness, teeth misalignment and biting or infection in the gums.
- X-ray: An impacted wisdom tooth Xray provides a clear image of the affected tooth and wisdom teeth position and the dental problems it causes. The impacted wisdom teeth surgery and treatment is most often recommended depending on the degree of their impact:
- Conventional Crown: For wisdom teeth that have fully erupted, standard crown treatment is recommended.
- Surgical Extraction: Pulling impacted wisdom teeth is done by an incision made to the gum and the surrounding bone to remove or extract the impacted tooth.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth Pain Relief
After extraction, dentists may prescribe medications to overcome impacted wisdom tooth pain and facilitate the healing process.
- Pain Relief: Over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen (as directed) can assist with pain.
- Cold Compress: Use of a cold pack to bring down the swelling.
- Dental care: Frequent cleaning is important to avoid getting an infection.
- Diet: Consuming soft meals and avoiding any hard or chewy substances is helpful in the pain-relieving process.
Conclusion
Partially or fully impacted wisdom teeth might cause increased pain, infection, or misalignment of other teeth. It is therefore critical to recognise the disease early to receive the appropriate therapy and avoid oral infections. If you’re concerned about impacted wisdom tooth removal costs, speak with a dental specialist to explore your treatment options.
Malavi Sivakanesan
Malavi Sivakanesan is the principal dentist and co-founder at Complete Smiles in Harrow, Greater London. She is responsible for establishing the Complete Smiles brand throughout the United Kingdom and Europe and has 5 successful practices under her strong leadership.