An impacted tooth is a tooth that is not coming in straight. Sometimes an impacted tooth comes in sideways; sometimes it grows against adjacent teeth, leading to an elevated risk of serious injury to the teeth that are already in place, and contributing to severe headaches.
Sometimes an impacted tooth will not even come out of the gum tissue; other times, it will come out, but in an improper way. If you have a tooth that is impacted, but out of the gum tissue, it may be possible to save it.
PROFESSIONAL DENTAL DEVICES CAN HELP IN SOME CASES
Of course, everything depends on your specific situation. The way the tooth is growing, how much of it is exposed, and how long it has been that way are all factors that affect our ability to save the tooth.
If you come see us early enough, we may be able to use orthodontic devices to attempt to pull the tooth into the proper position. This does not always work, but given enough time there is definitely a significant potential of saving the tooth.
SOMETIMES SURGERY WILL BE NECESSARY
If using a professional dental device by itself is not sufficient, it still may be possible to save the tooth using surgery. On occasion, we can adjust the way the gum sits in the tissue, positioning it correctly without needing to remove it.
Whether your impacted tooth is mild or severe, rest assured that we have probably seen something like it before. We will work hard to do what we can to save the tooth. In the event that you do have to have the tooth extracted, we will explain the situation to you and tell you why extraction is the best option.
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call us at (512) 643-6060 today.