Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Impacted wisdom teeth present many problems. Their degree of impaction can be categorized as partial soft tissue meaning some of the tooth is exposed, full soft tissue impaction or bony impaction. If partial soft tissue impaction is present, bacteria will penetrate deep along the submerged enamel to areas below the tissue, which cannot be accessed to clean under any circumstances. This can result in not only decay of the wisdom tooth but decay of the deeper root surface of the 12 year molar in front of the wisdom tooth. If the impacted wisdom tooth is oriented horizontally it can damage the 12 year molar as it attempts to erupt and it can distort the alignment of the teeth. Full bony impacted molars are unique in that they are contained within their developmental membrane. One of the most dramatic non cancerous destructive tumors is the cystic expansion of the membrane sac which can occur rapidly and is painless. Many times it is not discovered until most of the jaw bone has been resorbed by the expanding cyst. Some of these cysts can develop into very aggressive tumors. Routine dental visits don’t always provide the necessary imaging to discover this phenomenon, unless Panoramic X-rays are taken.
