An impacted tooth is one that has erupted improperly, leading to a partial arrival. This could lead to major complications with the appearance and function of your smile, and could lead to poor oral health too. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons can help by bracketing them into place.
How Teeth Become Impact for Kids and Adults
An impacted tooth is one that cannot erupt fully and is essentially stuck in place. The most common ones are the wisdom teeth, the molars that erupt in the rear of the mouth as we approach adulthood. This second most common are the maxillary canine. This alters how your teeth fit together and impacts the bite balance. These trapped teeth could cause misalignment, damage nearby teeth, and leave your smile vulnerable to infection. You could also develop esthetic issues with the appearance of your smile too.
The Bracketing Process
To assess the issue, our team will begin by taking panoramic digital x-rays and CT 3D scans of your smile. This enables us to identify the location of the tooth, and plan the treatment process with precision and accuracy. The bracketing process will involve placing a bracket on the impacted tooth, and another on a nearby tooth. We then connect these with a small but powerful chain. We adjust tension in this chain to begin pulling the tooth into proper position, helping it erupt fully. This protects your smile from complications and improves overall alignment. In fact, we often work with orthodontists to ensure seamless treatment on your journey to an even smile.
Tooth Extraction
Sometimes, we cannot bracket a tooth into place., This is always true with the wisdom teeth, and could apply in other situations too. In these scenarios, to protect the smile we need to extract the tooth completely. This is a safe and comfortable process, which begins with our team administering a local anesthetic and dental sedation to help you stay calm and comfortable. We then gently remove the tooth in question with a pair of forceps. This entire process takes about 30 minutes, and requires a day for rest before you return to normal activities.
If you have any questions about how we bracket impacted teeth into place, or about the process of gently extracting teeth, then contact our team today to learn more. We want to help you enjoy good oral health, straighter smiles, and often work with your general dentist or orthodontist throughout the process.
We Want to Straighten Your Smile
Our team wants to help restore the health, function, and beauty of your smile. If you would like to learn more about our approach to oral surgery, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling 707-545-4625.
