An impacted tooth is one that only partially erupts, causing problems for the alignment and health of your smile. To address them, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons may suggest either removing them completely, or bracketing them. In today’s blog, we’re discussing possible treatment options, and how to improve the health and function of your smile.
The Causes of Impacted Teeth
An impacted tooth is one that doesn’t erupt fully, and this could be caused by several factors. For example, a primary tooth could not fall out on schedule, causing the permanent teeth behind it to become impacted. There could also be issues with the growth and development of the jaw and oral structure that leaves little room for all of your teeth, so some only partially erupt. The issue could also be linked to your wisdom teeth. For many people, there simply isn’t enough room for these to arrive, so they become impacted and cause problems for the health, alignment, and appearance of our smiles.
Bracketing vs. Extraction
If the tooth in question isn’t related to your wisdom teeth, and removing it completely could mean the need for a replacement tooth, such as dental implant, then we may try to bracket it in place to avoid the need or an extraction and replacement. Our team will take panoramic digital x-rays of your smile to discover the position of the tooth in question. We could also use iCAT 3D images to locate its extract position, and the presence of any sensitive nerve tissues around it. We then plan your treatment with precision and accuracy. After that, we administer a numbing agent and sedation to ensure you remain calm and relaxed. We will then remove tissues around the tooth to expose it, and attach a bracket to it. A chain will be connected to the bracket and to a nearby natural tooth. Adjusting tension in the chain uses eruptive force to move the tooth into proper position. We then gradually move the tooth, and correct the issue to preserve the health of your smile. For wisdom teeth, we don’t need to bracket them as they can simply be removed altogether to protect your smile.
Recovery
Following the procedure, we will provide detailed aftercare instructions for facilitating a complication-free healing period. With follow-up visits, we will monitor your smile and once your tooth is properly in place, remove the brackets and chain. If you have any questions, please give our team a call today!
Do You Have a Painful Impacted Tooth?
With oral and maxillofacial surgical experience, our team can help correct impaction or damaged teeth. To learn more about our approach to oral surgery, then schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.
