What does an impacted wisdom tooth mean for extraction? i've been told that one of my wisdom teeth is impacted. does that make extraction more difficult than normal? is there a longer recovery time?

An : An impacted tooth is one that has not fully erupted into the mouth and is, to some degree, still covered gum tissue and / or bone. A fully impacted tooth is completely covered by bone. An impacted tooth does not necessarily have to be more difficult to extract than an erupted tooth for two reasons: 1. An impacted tooth may not have completed root formation. Besides having less tooth structure to remove, partially formed roots may not be curved at their tips and thus can be easier to remove. 2. When a tooth is fully erupted and in function, the bone around it consolidates (or hardens) in response to the function. This may make the tooth more difficult to remove. Impacted teeth may be more difficult to remove for the following reasons: 1. There is a significant amount of bone and / or soft tissue covering them making access more difficult. 2. Impacted teeth may be closely related to vital structures such as nerves and the sinuses making extraction more challenging. 3. Impacted teeth may be angled in ways that make it more difficult to extract them. I recommend an evaluation by a board certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon to better determine the necessity of extraction and the degree of difficulty that may be encountered.

Impacted teeth. : Impacted wisdom teeth are third molars that are under the bone and gums behind the back teeth. Sometimes their position will not allow them to erupt, or they will push on back molar causing damage or grow large cysts weaken jawbone. Therefore, they need to be removed. They are a more difficult surgical procedure that require longer healing time(week). Sedation is suggested.