When a tooth becomes impacted, this means it is essentially stuck in a poor position, one that could cause misalignment and lead to serious oral health issues. Fortunately, we can help correct them, either through bracketing or extraction. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons talk about correcting an impacted tooth.
What Teeth Need Bracketing?
An impacted tooth could occur for a number of reasons. This could be due to the arrival of wisdom teeth, additional molars that shift the teeth and may partially erupt, being trapped in place. If baby teeth don’t fall out on time, this could mean the permanent teeth coming in behind them are impacted, and this could happen due to issues with the growth of jaw and certain oral structures too. These teeth could also hinder proper growth and development, leading to other oral health issues such as misalignment, infection, and additional impacted teeth. Protecting your smiles means either bracketing them into proper position, or possibly removing them completely.
Treatment
To begin, our team will take detailed panoramic x-rays of your smile to assess the position of the tooth and the severity of a possible impaction. We may also use a 3D CT scan to determine the exact position. For bracketing, we will then attach a bracket to the tooth in question, and one to a nearby tooth. We connect them with a small chain. The dentist then gently and gradually adjusts tension in this chain to begin shifting the tooth into a proper position, allowing it to be fully erupted and improving the function, health, and beauty of your smile.
Extraction
Sometimes, the teeth may not be able to be bracketed into position. This is the case for wisdom teeth, whose presence could mean serious trouble for the appearance, function, and health of the smile. In these situations, we will administer a numbing agent and sedation. We then gently extract the teeth in question with a pair of forceps, and suture the site closed. Once we do, you will return home, usually with a friend or family member as sedation takes time to wear off completely. You rest for a day, eat soft foods, and gently brush and floss. We will examine the smile in a follow-up visit and remove the sutures, and you usually return to normal activities after a day or two of rest.
If you have any questions about our approach to bracketing or removing impacted teeth, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About Oral Surgery?
We would like to help improve the position and alignment of your teeth. If you would like to learn more about addressing major issues with poor oral health, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling 707-545-4625.
