Treating Impacted Teeth
What is an impacted tooth?
An impacted tooth is a tooth that is partially out of the gum line or way underneath the gum line. I have an example here. It could look something like this. Let me show you this model. Pretend this is the pink gum line and the tooth is underneath. If you look over here, that's an impacted tooth. The tooth is still underneath the gum line. It's erupting. Partially erupted means part of it is out. Wisdom teeth sometimes have part of the tooth out. That's a partially erupted tooth. If it's underneath the gum line, underneath the bone socket, that is considered an impacted tooth. If you have a small jaw or too many teeth and the teeth are crowded, they'll get stuck underneath the gum line and won't be able to come out. It's basically a tooth stuck due to not enough space.
What are the symptoms of impacted teeth?
A lot of people can walk around without knowing they have impacted teeth. But when they need to be taken out, sometimes people wait until they're in pain. When that happens, people often call me because they have really swollen gums, throbbing, or infection. Swelling is a big one. Swelling and infection, especially on the inside back part of the gums, is a symptom of an infected wisdom tooth.
How are impacted teeth diagnosed and treated?
Partially erupted means part of it is out of the gum line. When it's fully unerupted, it's underneath the gum line on the bone socket. They're diagnosed during a dental checkup with x-rays. We'll look at the x-rays and see if they're underneath the gum line and bone socket. We will tell you when it should be looked at and taken out.
Most of the time, they need to be taken out. You go to the oral surgeon for an initial consultation. They explain the risks, alternatives, and benefits. They'll give you options for anesthesia, whether you want to be awake or asleep. The first visit is the evaluation. The second appointment is for the procedure. If they're impacted, stuck underneath the gum line, they'll cut the gum line. You'll be numb, and they'll access it. Sometimes they take it out in one piece, or if they're really stuck, they may need to section them and take them out in pieces.
How much does it cost to remove impacted teeth?
Many insurances cover it, but every case is different. If you've used your insurance for other things and don't have enough coverage, it won't cover it. Call the office for a pre-estimate. The cost varies from $200 to $1,100 per tooth. It depends on the type of anesthesia, your situation, and your location. The most expensive part is the anesthesia.
When teeth are impacted underneath the bone, the best option is often sedation, IV sedation. You're knocked out, and you don't know what's going on. You wake up half an hour to an hour later, and it's done. I called an oral surgeon, and they charge about $2,700 for IV sedation to take out four teeth. That's only for the anesthesia. The total cost could be $3,000 to $4,000 for wisdom teeth. This doesn't consider insurance coverage. Call the office, go for a consultation, and that will help.
What to expect during and after having an impacted tooth removed?
If you decide to have IV sedation, you'll be asked not to eat or drink for about 8 to 10 hours prior to the procedure to reduce the risk of choking. You'll probably take a little while to wake up. Some people wake up right away, while others take longer to recover.
Afterward, you take about four or five days off. The fourth day is when you have the most swelling. The key is to put a lot of ice. If you have wisdom teeth removals where your teeth were impacted, ice it all day long to avoid swelling. If an area is swelling, not healing, or looks infected, the oral surgeons will provide their contact numbers for any complications.
What are horizontal and canine impactions?
Horizontal wisdom teeth can be stuck in various angles, even horizontally. Those are harder to extract, but oral surgeons are trained for this. We take X-rays every six months for children until all their teeth are out or they're out of braces because the position of their teeth changes every six months. We want to catch canine impaction early.
A canine impaction is when the pointy tooth is stuck underneath the gum line and bone socket, risking the loss of other teeth. We inform the orthodontist and the oral surgeon. They may cut the gum line, bond or glue a metal button, and realign the tooth to prevent other teeth from being lost.
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