When a tooth is impacted, this means it has only partially erupted, which could lead to serious trouble for your smile. In some cases, we could help treat them with a bracketing procedure. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons discuss how we treat impacted teeth and restore your oral health.
The Causes and Dangers of an Impacted Tooth
When a tooth doesn’t erupt completely, it has become impacted. This could occur due to a baby tooth not falling out on schedule, or issues with the size and shape of your jaw and oral structures. For others, this could occur with the arrival of the wisdom teeth, as there is often not enough room for four new teeth in our smile. When this happens, it alters the alignment of the teeth. Leading to problems with not only the beauty of your smile, but with the health and balance too. This imbalance could lead to painful complications, like the onset of TMJ disorder and bruxism, or an increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease. Fortunately, we can help!
The Bracketing Process
If the tooth is going to be preserved and remain in your smile, then we may bracket it back into the proper place. This could be done to address a specific issue, or as part of your orthodontic treatment. We often work with orthodontists in our community! Essentially, we will attach brackets to the tooth in question, and one nearby. We then connect these brackets with a small chain. As tension is adjusted in the chain, this begins to move the tooth into proper position, correcting your alignment and preventing further issues with your smile.
Tooth Extraction
In some cases, such as the eruption of wisdom teeth, there is no need for bracketing as the tooth in question simply needs to be removed completely. After we administer a numbing agent and sensation, we will use forceps to gently take out the tooth in question. When possible, we prefer to remove these teeth before they even erupt and make negative changes to your smile’s appearance and function. We will then preserve the extraction site to facilitate a good healing period. If the tooth removed isn’t a wisdom tooth, we could discuss the use of dental implants to replace it!
If you have any questions about how we treat impaction with either bracketing or extraction, or about jhow we replace missing teeth, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Any Questions About Bracketing Teeth?
With oral surgery, we want to help restore the health, function, and beauty of your smile. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.
