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Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners
When would someone need surgery for impacted teeth?
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Rob Montgomery
Counsellor, Psychotherapist
I am a Psychotherapist & Counsellor. I believe we are continually involved in the process of Growth and Change which challenges our assumptions of who … View Profile
It will depend totally upon whether the impacted teeth (usually wisdom teeth) are causing problems.
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Rob Montgomery
Counsellor, Psychotherapist
I am a Psychotherapist & Counsellor. I believe we are continually involved in the process of Growth and Change which challenges our assumptions of who … View Profile
Only if they are causing problems, for example; teeth that are decaying yet have not fully broken through the gum will need to extracted.
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Dr Daniel James
Dentist
Impaction on its own is not a reason to extract teeth. Many impacted teeth (usually wisdom teeth, but sometimes other teeth) remain as they are for a lifetime without causing pain or other problems.
Sometimes the pressure of an impacted tooth trying to come through into the mouth - but it cant as its being blocked by the tooth its impacted against - can cause quite a lot of pain. If these episodes are frequent and severe, you will probable need to have them extracted. If the episodes are far apart and not so severe, then its probably okay to leave them alone.
Sometimes the impacted tooth can cause other problems, such as decay on the adjacent tooth (or itself), or an infection in the gums. In these cases it is usually a good idea to extract the tooth.
An important consideration is what are the risks of performing the extraction? The impacted tooth might lie close to important structures such as a major nerve in the bottom jaw, or one of your sinuses in the top jaw. Your general health is also an important consideration. Because of the risks, impacted teeth are often referred to a specialist surgeon for extraction.
As you can see, there is no black and white answer to your question, but as with most procedures you will need to weigh up the benefits to you versus the risk, and together with the help of your dentist come to a decision that is right for you.
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