How to Prevent Impacted Tooth

An impacted tooth occurs when a tooth does not have enough room or is positioned incorrectly, preventing proper alignment in the mouth. Most Impacted tooth occurrences involve the third molars, often called wisdom teeth, which generally come in at age 17 to 21 or even years later. Impacted teeth can cause pain, infection and damage to nearby teeth and roots. Ongoing infections connected to teeth or roots can have long term consequences and are associated with heart disease, so it is important to have them treated right away. Here's how to prevent an impacted tooth.

Instructions

Preventing Impacted Teeth

• 1

  Schedule and attend dental exams and teeth cleanings twice a year. Make sure to have your teeth x-rayed to check for the presence of molars or misaligned teeth that may become impacted as they come in. Children in their mid-teens should have x-rays to detect the possibility of future impacted wisdom teeth.

• 2

  Discuss with your dentist the presence of any third molars that are likely to become impacted. If you're not sure about his advice, get another opinion to verify that removal of the wisdom teeth is necessary. Wisdom teeth are usually removed by an oral surgeon, and you'll need a referral from your dentist.

• 3

  Ensure that you receive proper dental attention for your teeth before they become seriously impacted. Since there is usually not enough room in the jaw for the third set of molars, removal may be the only option. If so, it is best to have the procedure done as soon as possible, rather than allowing the root to grow and the teeth to become more impacted and cause more damage to the surrounding area.

• 4

  Make sure that prenatal nutrition and children's early diets are optimal. According to the famous dentist and researcher, Weston A. Price, the vast majority of dental maladies experienced by children and adults alike are caused by poor or insufficient diets. He especially recommends taking cod liver oil in conjunction with raw milk to ensure proper dental development.

• 5

  Realize that there is often little you can do to prevent an impacted tooth once you reach adulthood. Your jaw size is set, and often, there is simply no room for the third molars.