Types of wisdom Teeth Impactions

Wisdom teeth commonly do not have enough room to properly erupt into our mouth where they can become fully functional and cleansable teeth. This lack of space can result in a number of harmful effects on your overall dental health. When a tooth cannot erupt into proper alignment, we call it impacted, which simply means “stuck” in an improper position. There are several types, or degrees, of impaction:

• Soft Tissue Impactions – There is adequate jaw bone to allow the wisdom tooth to erupt, but not enough room to allow the gum tissue to be properly positioned and attached to the tooth. This causes tremendous problems because it is not possible to keep the area clean. Infection commonly occurs, resulting in swelling and pain.
• Partial Bony Impactions – There is enough space to allow the wisdom tooth to partially erupt, but it cannot function in the chewing process. The tooth remains partially covered by bone and soft tissue. Once again, keeping the area clean is impossible and problems commonly develop.
• Complete Bony Impactions – There is no space for the tooth to erupt. The tooth is completely covered by bone, or if it is partially exposed through the bone, it requires complex removal techniques.
• Unusually Difficult Complete Bony Impactions – The impacted wisdom tooth is in an unusual and difficult position to remove.

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