Experiencing an impacted tooth is often rather painful, and on this page we’re going into the basics of how we detect and fix our patients with impacted teeth!
An impacted tooth can sometimes be rather difficult to detect, and this oral health issue can undoubtedly pose problems for your other teeth. This can include crowding, twisting and altering teeth in a whole variety of ways. An impacted tooth can many times be the cause of oral health issues and the general need for comprehensive orthodontic services, so you should always reach out to our team when you suspect you or your loved one is experiencing an impacted tooth!
James Karpac Orthodontics will always be able to go above and beyond when it comes to assisting patients with impacted teeth and getting their smiles straightened in a healthy and efficient way. Our team is comprised of Dr. Karpac and different qualified professionals that are involved with your orthodontic treatment, so you can be rest assured that we’re prepared for serious issues like impacted teeth!
What Exactly Is An Impacted Tooth?
It’s of course important for you to initially have a thorough understanding as to what an impacted tooth is, and within orthodontics an impacted tooth refers to an erupting tooth that was blocked during its expected emergence time. There are many ways in which a tooth can be blocked from erupting properly, including things like not having enough room, coming out twisted or in the wrong direction, genetics, or even for no distinguishable reasoning!
It’s true that wisdom teeth are many times impacted within young adults and teenagers, but the truth is that any tooth can potentially be impacted.
Impacted Teeth And Children
It’s true that it’s common for young children to experience an impacted tooth while their adult teeth are beginning to emerge. Sometimes an adult tooth struggles to erupt or gets trapped underneath a baby tooth that lasts longer than expected; and other times adult teeth can push the roots of adjacent teeth and erupt in wrong places.
Crowding ends up becoming one of the more common orthodontic problems posed by impacted teeth, and this can lead a child to eating difficulties. There’s no doubt about it that crowding and misaligned teeth can also lead to diminishing a child’s self-esteem, and fixing these types of oral health issues is always a little bit easier while a child is young and their mouth is still developing.
Fixing Impacted Teeth
Fixing impacted teeth can sometimes be pretty straightforward, and other times it can be rather complicated. Everyone’s oral health is 100% unique and there’s always a possibility that even just one impacted tooth can pose a domino effect towards many other teeth. An example of a straightforward treatment would removing a pesky baby tooth that’s blocking an impacted tooth from properly erupting.
There is a possibility that a patient will require jaw expansion in order to properly fit all of their teeth within their mouth, and even more serious issues could require a comprehensive mix of orthodontic appliances and potentially even surgery.
But no matter what the cause is, it’s always much better for young patients to receive orthodontic treatment before the issues posed by impacted teeth get much worse with time. Our team will always be able to help when it comes to detecting impacted teeth and keeping these potential oral health issues at bay!
Detecting Impacted Teeth Issues Early On
There’s no doubt about it that detecting impacted teeth can help families save a ton of time and finances, and this is mainly because it’s easier for orthodontic specialists to resolve these types of issues prior to continued development creating more harm.
This is one of the many reasons why the American Association of Orthodontics (AAO) recommends to parents that their children should obtain an initial consultation from an orthodontist by about age 7. When a child comes into our offices at about this age, we’ll be much more capable of recognizing and addressing oral health problems before they create serious issues within the child’s mouth.
It’s also important to note that adults of all ages should also always be up for orthodontic checkups as well! There are many different orthodontic issues that can develop as we age, and coming into our offices when you notice something’s up can help us detect problems prior to any serious pain and developmental issues.
Will You Need A Referral?
Referrals aren’t always needed due to some impacted teeth being pretty easily erupted, but there certainly are many instances in which your dentist or specialist will remove your impacted teeth. Many times dentists and oral health specialists will refer their patients with impacted teeth to us, but you won’t necessarily need a referral to get treatment within our facilities.
When you and/or your child come in for an initial consultation, Dr. Karpac will go over a comprehensive review of all the possible treatments and information that pertain to the patient. If we recognize that a patient has an impacted tooth, we’ll be sure to help with all the preparations that’ll need to be accounted for.
Removing Wisdom Teeth
It’s very common for wisdom teeth to be impacted, which is why most teenagers and young adults need to have their wisdom teeth removed prior to them posing any serious issues. We’ll be sure to go over your options when it comes to wisdom teeth and what you can expect from potential treatments.
It’s also pretty common for wisdom teeth to not quite be causing any problems when a younger patient comes in for orthodontic treatment, and in some instances it may be best to go through orthodontic treatment and continuously monitor wisdom teeth until the proper timing for removal approaches.
Impacted Tooth Signs
There are many different symptoms associated with impacted teeth, and you should always come see us if you or your child are showing any of the following common signs:
- Consistent bad taste in mouth/bad breath
- Difficulty with opening the mouth
- Pain when opening the mouth
- Consistently swollen gums, which may easily bleed
- Unknown pressure on teeth
- Pain when biting or chewing
It’s also really important for teenagers and young adults to make sure they’re getting regular checkups on the growth of their wisdom teeth, and always make an appointment if you’re experiencing the above symptoms.
For younger children, it’s also important for parents to keep an eye out for potentially impacted canine teeth, because these teeth are also commonly impacted.
Reach Out To James Karpac Orthodontics To Learn More About How We Help Our Patients Who Are Experiencing Impacted Teeth!
Impacted teeth are certainly rather serious oral health issues, and recognizing these problems early on can always go a long way in terms of saving a young child’s smile and making treatment much more simplified.
It’s common for children to experience impacted teeth when they’re initially losing their baby teeth, which is why initial consultations with orthodontists should begin as early as age 7!
All of us at James Karpac Orthodontics want each and every one of our patients to be as prepared as possible for their treatment options, and this means parents need to take preventative measures very seriously.
So reach out to us online or call us at 614-766-0330 (Dublin office) or 614-471-6355 (Gahanna office) to get in touch with our team and set up an initial consultation appointment!