When a tooth is impacted, this could mean it only partially erupts, which can lead to issues with your smile’s health and appearance, and complicate orthodontic treatment. But our team can offer a solution, and one that doesn’t involve extracting the tooth! At your Metairie, LA, oral surgery clinic, we can bracket impacted teeth into their proper positions.
The Causes and Dangers of an Impacted Tooth
As we grow, our primary teeth fall out and in their place, the permanent teeth arrive. But if the primary teeth don’t fall out in time, due to factors like lack of root dissolution, then the permanent teeth can only partially erupt, creating an impacted tooth. An impaction could also occur due to misalignment or complications with the development of your jaw. This could prevent your teeth from achieving their proper alignment, and this could also complicate your orthodontic treatment with aligners or braces. An oral surgeon however, can help bracket the teeth into proper position, working with your general dentist or orthodontist, so you can enjoy a more balanced and even smile without the need for extraction.
The Bracketing Process
The process involves our team attaching a small bracket to the tooth in question, and another to a neighboring tooth. We connect these two brackets with a chain, and adjust the tension in the chain to gradually and comfortably reposition the tooth, bring it into proper alignment so we can continue your orthodontic treatment and avoid complications for your oral health. Otherwise, this could leave your smile vulnerable to issues like tooth decay, gum disease, TMJ disorder, and even bruxism (teeth grinding).
Tooth Extraction
If the impacted tooth is a wisdom tooth, or if its presence causes issues with your orthodontic treatment, then instead of bracketing it we may need to extract it so there is room to properly reposition your smile. Our team will plan the procedure carefully and provide anesthesia and sedation to keep you comfortable as we remove the tooth.
If you have any questions about how our team can bracket impacted teeth back into their proper positions, or about the tooth extraction process or orthodontic care, then please reach out to our team today. We would like to help you enjoy better oral health in 2024 and beyond, with results that make you feel confident.
Talk to Your Metairie, LA Dentist About Bracketing Teeth
We want to help address issues that can harm the health, beauty, and function of your smile with oral surgery. We want to offer a comfortable treatment in a relaxing environment, so you can enjoy results that boost the function and beauty of your smile for years to come. For more information on how we address an impacted tooth, reach out to our Metairie, LA oral surgery clinic at (504) 455-7161.