Procedures

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

What Is An Impacted Tooth?

Although most people develop and grow 32 permanent adult teeth, many times their jaws are too small to accommodate wisdom teeth. When inadequate space prevents the teeth from erupting they are called impacted. This indicates their inability to erupt into the proper position for chewing and cleaning.

Are You Ready Experiencing Wisdom Teeth Pain?

Contact us with any questions or to schedule an appointment to reclaim your smile today!

Call us: 215-672-6560
Wisdom Teeth impacted in jaw: Patient x-ray on the left and illustration on the right

Impacted Wisdom Teeth FAQs

How long is recovery from impacted wisdom teeth removal?

Downtime is usually 2-3 days after surgery depending on the extent of surgery and the age of the patient at the time of surgery. Most patients are fully recovered and eating a regular diet 3-4 weeks after the procedure.

Can impacted wisdom teeth cause TMJ?

In general, that is not true and needs to be evaluated independently. Both conditions, however, can cause pain or other symptoms so it is best to have an evaluation by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon

Do I have to remove impacted wisdom teeth?

Everyone should have impacted teeth evaluated by a qualified surgeon, however, not everyone “needs their wisdom teeth out”. There are many factors to consider including the patient’s age, medical history, actual and impending problems as well as long-term plans.

What can you eat after impacted wisdom teeth removal?

We recommend a soft, easy-to-chew diet and slowly advance as comfort allows. It does NOT have to be a liquid diet.

One thing to avoid is popcorn – it is very hard to clean out!

Do they break your jaw to remove impacted wisdom teeth?

No, the jaw is not fractured to remove teeth. Often some bone is removed around impacted teeth to facilitate removal. Thankfully, a fractured jaw is a very rare complication.