Teeth that cannot take their place in normal occlusion due to various reasons despite the age and time of eruption, remain partially or completely in soft tissue or bone, are defined as impacted teeth or, more scientifically, “impacted teeth”. The most common impacted teeth are wisdom teeth. Apart from wisdom teeth, canines, premolars, and even anterior and lateral incisors can remain impacted teeth.
The last wisdom teeth in the mouth can cause serious problems. Teeth that begin to erupt between the ages of 17 and 25 remain impacted when there is not enough space in the jaw and can cause severe pain. If the wisdom teeth come out in the right position and do not damage the surrounding tissues, there is no harm in keeping them in place.
However, considering the future problems caused by a tooth that is fused with the jawbone and in an abnormal position, it can be decided to take the tooth after X-ray. A 20-year-old female is dangerous if:
Gum infection: In cases where the wisdom tooth does not fully erupt, food residues and bacteria enter under the gum around the wisdom tooth and cause infection. As a result, bad breath, pain, facial swelling and a decrease in mouth opening can be seen. The infection can spread to the cheek and neck region via lymph.
Pressure pain: There may be pain due to the pressure of the wisdom tooth on the neighboring teeth. In some cases, tooth wear occurs due to this pressure.
Orthodontics: Many young patients undergo orthodontic treatment to correct crooked teeth. Due to the lack of space, wisdom teeth cause an increase in tooth crowding, especially in the anterior region.
Prosthesis: Impacted wisdom teeth in patients using total dentures may cause problems such as incompatibility, dents and inability to use the prosthesis.
Cyst formation: A cyst may form in the soft tissue around an impacted or semi-impacted 20-year-old tooth. Removal of this cyst and tooth is of great importance in terms of preventing future bone and adjacent tooth damage. Rarely, a tumor may develop inside the cyst or spontaneous fractures of the jaw may occur due to excessive growth of the cyst.