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Impacted and Missing Teeth

Closing up and tightening up your new smile.

Impacted Teeth

Impactions can be caused by improper positioning of the developing tooth bud.  This can cause the tooth to fail to erupt into the mouth.  Impactions can also be caused by early loss of primary teeth or crowding of teeth.  Wisdom teeth are the most commonly impacted teeth, but canines and premolars are also commonly impacted.

This problem should be corrected because it can:

  • Cause damage to the root structure of adjacent teeth.
  • Interfere with the sinus cavity.
  • Leave unwanted spaces.
  • Lead to improper functioning of the teeth.
  • Cause premature wear of the teeth.
  • Cause asymmetric alignment of the teeth.

Impacted Teeth

How can impacted teeth be orthodontically corrected?

Usually the impacted tooth is exposed by another dental professional and, over the course of a few months, is brought into the correct position of the mouth by Dr. Gehring. The tooth can also be uncovered by Dr. Gehring using a soft tissue laser treatment to gently and painlessly remove the excess gum tissue surrounding the impacted tooth. Correction of a more severely impacted tooth may involve a surgical procedure performed by an oral surgeon working closely with our practice. This will allow us to then guide eruption of the impacted tooth into proper position.

Missing Teeth

Missing teeth is the absence of a tooth or teeth that should normally be present.  This can be caused by trauma or lack of development.

This problem should be corrected because it can:

  • Cause improper functioning of teeth.
  • Cause premature wear of teeth.
  • Cause asymmetric alignment of the teeth.
  • Make your smile less attractive.

How can missing teeth be orthodontically corrected?

Depending upon the situation, the space can be closed with braces or opened for tooth replacement. A bridge or dental implant are restorative options if a space is created. This work would be coordinated with your dentist.

Interested in learning more about impacted and missing teeth?

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