The Different Kinds of Wisdom Tooth Impactions

 

For millions of people, wisdom teeth can be a serious nuisance. Lots of people have them and go most of their lives without issue, but for those where that's not the case, the result can be debilitating.

Wisdom teeth that cannot erupt and establish themselves in the oral cavity properly can cause serious problems, such as pain, swelling, eating difficulties, and infections.

Due to these problems, it's common for people to have their wisdom teeth removed. However, there are many situational variables involved when it comes to wisdom tooth extraction that determine how simple a procedure will be and what the recovery will be like.

Here are the different kinds of wisdom teeth impactions and how they affect how a tooth is extracted.

No Impaction

Also known as a partial eruption, this is when a wisdom tooth begins to appear above the gum line but still has trouble fitting in place due to the placement of other teeth in the mouth.

This type of impaction is the simplest type to deal with and doesn't require specialized equipment. It's entirely possible to have these kinds of wisdom teeth removed in a non-specialist dentist's office, as it's very similar to any other kind of tooth extraction.

While it may be the most straightforward kind of extraction, partially erupted teeth can be some of the most problematic to deal with due to their compromised position leading to frequent infections.

Soft Tissue Impaction

This type of impaction is when a wisdom tooth has managed to make its way out of the bone but has yet to make it through the gum tissue.

While these kinds of teeth could be effectively removed by general dentists, extractions are almost always done by surgical specialists.

To have the tooth removed, a gum incision must be made where the tooth is, and the tooth must be jostled out of its cavity located in the jaw. Sometimes, minor bone removal is necessary, but that's usually not needed; all it takes most of the time is for it to be leveraged in the right position.

Once the tooth is removed, the gum must be tightly sutured back together to heal.

Partial Bony Impaction

This type of impaction is when a wisdom tooth is still impacted in the jawbone but is partially pressing into gum tissue.

Extracting this kind of tooth is very similar to a soft tissue impaction, but it almost always requires the surgical removal of minor sections of bone, and the wisdom tooth is frequently cut in half to remove the tooth piece by piece.

Complete Impaction

This is the most difficult type of impaction to deal with and is when the wisdom tooth is fully encased in bone. In these cases, it's common for wisdom teeth to grow sideways or even completely backward, requiring some intensive surgical work.

Wisdom teeth that are this impacted need to be cut into several pieces and then pulled out section by section. Due to how far back these teeth usually go, a lot of effort must be put into digging tooth sections out, and the entire process can be quite lengthy and usually requires a dedicated surgical team.

Taking The Type of Impaction Into Account

Wisdom tooth removal can vary significantly in terms of how serious it is. Some teeth can be removed fairly easily by pretty much any dental hygienist, and others require a great deal of specialty work.

Before you consider wisdom tooth extraction, you should consult with a professional to assess what state your wisdom teeth are in to determine important details like cost and recovery time.