Wisdom teeth are molars, which are teeth located at the far end of the mouth. There are first, second and third molars located both on the upper and lower portion of the mouth. Wisdom teeth are usually third molars. If there is enough space, wisdom teeth should grow put properly, aligning themselves with other teeth. This type of teeth got its name because they come out late compared to other teeth that normally form during childhood. Wisdom teeth become impacted when they cannot fully and properly come out because of inadequate space.
There are technical terms used by dentists to describe impacted wisdom teeth. Descriptions are according to both the direction the tooth is growing towards and the degree of impaction. The four common ways to describe the tooth direction are mesial, distal and vertical impaction. Mesial impaction also known as angular impaction refers to the angled and forward direction of the tooth, leaning towards the mouth’s opening. Distal impaction is the inclination of the tooth towards the throat. Vertical impaction means that the impacted tooth is leaning toward the head. The last description is horizontal impaction, which refers to the developing of the tooth following a sideway motion.
Degree of impaction involves assessing how developed the tooth is. A soft-tissue impaction is a description given to a tooth covered with the gum. Partial-bony impaction, on the other hand, refers to the tooth being covered with not only the gums but also a portion of the jaw bone. A complete-bony impaction describes a tooth completely covered by the gum and the whole jaw bone.
There are some people who are fortunate to keep their impacted tooth without experiencing the usual impacted teeth symptoms such as pain and soreness. Others have large enough jaws to prevent impaction of their wisdom teeth. However, prolonging removal of impacted wisdom tooth may lead to serious dental complications.