An impacted tooth is a relatively common dental problem in young children and is essentially a tooth that hasn't emerged properly from the gum. Kids tend to experience an impacted tooth when a baby tooth falls out and the adult tooth is unable to emerge through the gum due to the position of the surrounding teeth, which can block the adult tooth. As the adult tooth tries to push its way through your child's gum, it may cause the surrounding teeth to move and become overcrowded or twisted, or it may start to protrude higher up in the gum, which can be painful. An impacted tooth can also occur when a baby tooth doesn't fall out before the replacement adult tooth begins to push through. This can cause the adult tooth to begin growing sideways. Left untreated, an impacted tooth can cause gum inflammation, tooth decay, bacterial infection, damage to the surrounding teeth or bite misalignment.

Signs Of An Impacted Tooth

Sometimes an impacted tooth is pretty obvious, and you can see the outline of the tooth on the upper gum. However, an impacted tooth can remain hidden and firmly embedded in your child's gums. Other signs of an impacted tooth to look out for when there is no obvious outline of a tooth include bad breath, gum inflammation and redness and regular complaints of jaw pain or headaches.

Treating An Impacted Tooth

In order to decide on the best way to treat your child's impacted tooth, your dentist will need to carry out an oral exam and dental X-rays will likely be necessary to view the position of the impacted tooth. If a baby tooth is blocking an adult tooth that's trying to emerge, treatment can be as simple as extracting the baby tooth. If the baby tooth has already fallen out and the adult tooth is impacted due to overcrowding of the surrounding teeth, one or more of your child's remaining baby teeth may need to be removed to create space for the emerging adult tooth, and they may also need braces to correct the alignment of their teeth and ensure the impacted tooth can grow in straight.

Ensuring your child attends their routine check-ups can allow your dentist to spot and treat an impacted tooth before any complications arise, such as an infection. However, if you think your child has an impacted tooth, don't wait until their next routine appointment to have it checked. Schedule an appointment with a local dentist as soon as you notice any irregularities.