Impacted Tooth: When a Tooth Gets Stuck and What Happens Next

An impacted tooth is one that's unable to fully emerge into its normal position in the mouth, remaining partially or fully trapped beneath the gum tissue or jawbone, typically due to lack of adequate space, an obstruction from a neighboring tooth, or an abnormal angle of development.

Canine teeth, particularly the upper canines, are among the more commonly impacted teeth besides wisdom teeth, sometimes due to insufficient space or an unusual eruption path. Other teeth can become impacted less commonly, generally related to similar underlying space or developmental issues specific to that individual's mouth.

Insufficient space in the jaw for the tooth to properly emerge, a neighboring tooth blocking the eruption path, an unusual angle of development, and in some cases, extra teeth (supernumerary teeth) creating obstruction are among the more common causes.

This is typically identified through a dental X-ray, sometimes as part of routine imaging, or specifically ordered imaging if a tooth's expected eruption seems delayed or if there are other signs suggesting a tooth isn't emerging as expected.

Not always — some impacted teeth, particularly if fully impacted without any partial emergence, may not cause noticeable symptoms and are sometimes discovered incidentally on X-rays taken for other reasons. Partially impacted teeth are more likely to cause symptoms like pain, swelling, or infection in the surrounding area.

Pain and swelling in the surrounding gum tissue, infection if bacteria become trapped around a partially emerged tooth, potential damage or pressure on neighboring teeth, and in some cases, cyst formation around the impacted tooth are among the possible complications.

Depending on the specific situation, treatment might involve orthodontic intervention to help guide the tooth into proper position, sometimes combined with a minor surgical procedure to expose the tooth and attach an orthodontic bracket that gradually pulls it into alignment, or in cases where guiding the tooth isn't feasible, extraction followed by a replacement option.

No, particularly for teeth other than wisdom teeth, extraction isn't automatically the default approach, since orthodontic guidance to bring the tooth into proper position is often attempted first when feasible, given the value of preserving a natural tooth rather than needing a replacement.

Wisdom teeth, given their location at the very back of the jaw and generally limited functional necessity, are more commonly simply extracted when impacted. Other impacted teeth, like canines, which play a more significant functional and cosmetic role, are more often approached with an eye toward preserving and properly positioning the tooth if reasonably possible.

Since impaction is generally related to individual jaw size and tooth development patterns, it's not typically something that can be actively prevented, though early orthodontic evaluation, sometimes during childhood, can catch developing impaction issues early enough to intervene with a less complex approach than waiting until the tooth is more significantly stuck.

If a permanent tooth seems significantly delayed in emerging compared to its expected timeline, or if you notice symptoms like localized pain or swelling in an area where a tooth should be emerging, these are reasonable prompts to have your dentist evaluate with imaging.