When a tooth doesn’t completely erupt, this partial eruption, or impaction, could lead to serious trouble for your oral health. In fact, this could mean misalignment and even infected teeth! Which is why moving the tooth to its proper position is so essential. In today’s blog, your Santa Rosa , CA, oral surgeons talk about bracketing impacted teeth.
What Causes Impaction?
An impaction means a tooth in your smile has only partially erupted. This often happens when the canine teeth, the last to arrive in your smile, usually at around age 12. However, you could also develop impacted teeth in adulthood due to the arrival of the wisdom teeth, which could crowd the smile and lead to the new molars partially erupting. While the causes vary, the changes to your smile could include a number of common problems. For example, misalignment, infection, damaged teeth, and discomfort are all common complications for kids and adults. Which is why we recommend treatment to improve the overall health and beauty of your smile!
How Do We Correct It?
To begin, we will use advanced CT imaging and digital x-rays to obtain clear pictures of your entire smile. We then identify the position of the tooth and assess the causes. From there, we create a personalized treatment plan that can address the issue or remove the tooth without impacting nerve tissues or sinus cavities. When we’re ready to treat your smile, we will not only administer a local anesthetic, but also dental sedation so you enter a calm and relaxed state with little to no memory of the procedure afterward. We want you to feel relaxed and comfortable throughout the process.
Bracketing and Extraction
With bracketing, we will attach a bracket to the tooth in question, and then another to the tooth next to it. We then connect the brackets with a small chain. Our team will adjust the tension in the chain to begin pulling the tooth into proper position and improving the overall alignment of your smile. Once we’re done with this process, your orthodontics can continue your orthodontic treatment as needed. But with wisdom teeth, we don’t need to reposition the teeth, just remove them. Using a pair of forceps, we can gently take out the teeth in question. We then suture the tape closed and provide detailed aftercare instructions to facilitate a comfortable healing period.
If you have any questions, then contact our team today to learn more.
Do You Have Questions About Preserving Your Smile?
We’re ready to restore your teeth to their proper position and improve your smile’s function. If you would like to learn more about addressing partially erupted teeth, then contact your Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgeons by calling 707-545-4625.
