Is an Impacted Tooth Serious?

An impacted tooth sounds ominous, but you can actually have one and not suffer any pain, swelling, or other giveaway symptoms. 

An impacted tooth doesn’t always break through the skin of your gums or present other problems. It’s simply stuck in a strange place, not where it belongs. Some people go for years with an impacted tooth and never know it. 

The problems begin when an impacted tooth blocks other teeth from moving or finally breaks the surface of your gums and causes pain. When impacted teeth compromise your oral health in some way, then they become a serious matter. 

Airport Dental Care in Austin, Texas, provides comprehensive dental care for routine matters and when problems like impacted teeth arise. Dr. Brian LaBombard, our skilled and talented dentist, can determine if extracting your impacted tooth is warranted to protect your oral health. 

Why do I have an impacted tooth?

A tooth becomes impacted when your mouth can’t make room for it to grow in properly. The most common impaction happens with your wisdom teeth. These molars can become problematic if they don’t have sufficient room to emerge at the very rear of your jaw. 

Since these extra molars aren’t really needed, we often recommend extracting them to keep things neat, orderly, and pain free in your mouth. 

But wisdom teeth aren’t the only teeth that frequently become impacted. The longer, pointy teeth toward the front of your mouth — your canine teeth — can become impacted, too. These teeth are essential for function and aesthetics, so we provide dental treatment to help them break through the gums and move into the proper position. 

How do I know if I have an impacted tooth?

Many people have no idea they have an impacted tooth. If you begin having symptoms of an impacted tooth, you can expect one or more of the following problems: 

• Pain in the area of the impacted tooth when opening your mouth
• Pain when biting down
• Bleeding gums
• Red, swollen gums
• A bad taste in your mouth
• Bad breath

These symptoms can come and go, making you wonder if there’s even a problem at all. If you experience any of these issues, especially if you have more than one symptom, schedule an appointment. We can perform the advanced dental scanning necessary to locate and evaluate an impacted tooth. 

Can I prevent an impacted tooth?

You may be surprised to learn that you can prevent a tooth from becoming impacted. Routine dental visits and scans beginning at a young age monitor your teeth growth and development and can predict if a tooth may give you trouble. 

That’s why we encourage everyone to have regular dental screenings. 

If you’re suffering from pain or other symptoms of an impacted tooth, call our office or book an appointment online today. We can give you immediate care instructions over the phone until you can get to our clinic for an evaluation and treatment.