Impacted Teeth
An impacted tooth is when a tooth is completely enclosed within soft tissue or bone; or can only partially break through the gum.
Symtoms of impaction:
1. Pain or tenderness of the gums
2. Prolonged headache or jaw ache
3. Redness and swelling of the gums around impacted tooth
4. Visable gap where a tooth did not emerge
Complications of impaction:
1. Chronic discomfort in the mouth
2. Infection of the impacted tooth or surrounding tissue
3. Malocculsion of the teeth
4. Plaque trapped between teeth and gums
5. Loss of bone around the impacted tooth or adjacent teeth
7. Damage to surrounding nerves
A dental x-ray is the best way to confirm the presence of one or more teeth that have not emerged.
Wisdom teeth/Third molars
Third molars or wisdom teeth often erupt into the mouth during the late teens to the early twenties. These teeth can be a valuable asset to the mouth, but are most often poorly positioned for eruption, fail to erupt, and therefore require removal. The third molars are often positioned closely to the second molars and the nerve root for all lower teeth. Due to their close proximity and ability to shift and further develop they can alter the bony support of the second molar and become integrated with the nerve root. If unerupted wisdom teeth are left untreated, they can damage the adjacent tooth’s root, lead to loss of bony support of the second molar, and damage the nerve root.
Third molars are often partially impacted or not completely erupted. Partial eruption gives bacteria a chance to enter around the tooth but limits the patient’s ability to clean the tooth. Partial eruption also makes the teeth more prone to tooth decay and gum disease.
Back to School Lunch Box Tips
1. Chose 100% whole-grain bread over white bread
2. Boost water’s flavor by slipping in slices of fresh fruit into the water bottle
3. Make fruit more appealing or easier to eat by peeling oranges
4. Liven up sandwiches by making them in fun shapes like airplanes, baseballs, or crowns with cookie cutters
5. Pack popcorn; 2 cups of 94% fat-free popcorn fits perfect into a sandwich bag
6. Make your chips– Thinly sliced potatoes turn into crisp chips with just 4 minutes in the microwave
Sweet Smiles 🙂
Combine 1 1/2 cups plain, fat-free Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp. honey and 1 1/2 tsp. grated lime rind to make a sweet, creamy dip for fruit.
Pepper The Pumpkin is in the office!
If you haven’t already, come by the office to guess the weight of Pepper and enter our contest to win a $50 giftcard!
