Under normal circumstances, your teeth pass through the gums and grow into their natural position. Sometimes a tooth fails to grow into the mouth, or only emerges a little before becoming stuck. When this happens to a tooth, we call it an impacted tooth.

Factors that cause impacted teeth:

• Overcrowding of teeth in the mouth

• Extra teeth or the absence of normal adult teeth

• Unusual growths that block proper eruption

• Inability to follow the normal growth track of adjacent teeth

When Should I seek treatment for an unerupted permanent tooth?

As patients age, eruption by natural forces alone becomes less likely, even if there is space available in the mouth. Our team can use a panoramic x-ray with a dental examination to determine whether all your adult teeth are present, or if they are missing. We recommend having impacted teeth removed as early as possible. The longer you leave an impacted tooth, the greater chance it has of fusing with the bone.

Unerupted permanent tooth exposure success by patient’s age:

• 11-12 years old - When we open space for eruption, there is a good chance for success.

• 13-14 years old - The impacted tooth will not erupt by itself, even when the space we clear space for its eruption.

• 40+ years old - There is a much higher chance that the tooth will have fused in position. The only treatment option is to extract the impacted tooth and replace it with a crown on a dental implant.

Surgery Overview

Exposing and bracketing an impacted tooth is a surgical procedure that we perform in-office. Patients who need a tooth exposed without bracketing will require less time than a patient who needs exposure and bracketing. Each patient is different—we will discuss your procedure in detail at your initial consultation.

If you are in need of an exposure and bracketing treatment for an impacted tooth, we encourage you to contact our office to schedule a consultation. Our experienced team at Superior Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in Rochester Hills, MI, has many options for treating impacted teeth. If you have any questions about this procedure please call (248) 829-3635 and one of our team members will assist you!

Contact Us

Contact our office at (248) 829-3635 or use the form below to request a consultation.