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What is an impacted wisdom tooth and when/why do they need to be removed?

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What is an impacted wisdom tooth and when/why do they need to be removed?

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The term impacted applies to a tooth which has not fully erupted. A tooth may become impacted because of crowding or malposition. Third molars (wisdom teeth) are most likely to become impacted. We refer to our oral surgeons for treatment of impacted teeth. Impacted teeth require removal for any one of several potential problems. The most common being infection and the resulting pain and swelling. Impacted teeth can cause damage by promoting decay or by eroding the roots of adjacent teeth. An erupting wisdom tooth may cause crowding by pushing on the roots of existing teeth. We recommend that impacted wisdom teeth be removed between the ages of 14 and 22 years. Surgery is technically easier and patients tend to recover much more quickly when they are younger, and what is a relatively minor operation at 20 can become more difficult in patients over 40.

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