Reference/Features

Buried teeth–identification, causes and management

10 mins read Dental nursing extra
Impacted teeth have several causes and can lead to problems if left untreated. Their management includes extraction, long-term orthodontic treatment or monitoring for problems, and depends on both human and clinical factors

Buried or impacted teeth are a complex and challenging problem. An impacted tooth is one that is ‘prevented from erupting into its normal functional position by bone, tooth or fibrous tissue'. There are a number of treatments for buried teeth, but intervention may not be needed.

Any tooth—incisor, canine, premolar or molar—can be impacted. The most commonly impacted is the lower third molar, which is reported in about 16.7% of impaction cases (Dachi and Howell, 1961). The impaction of maxillary canines has an incidence of 2% (Ericson and Kurol, 1986).

The aetiology of impacted teeth can be divided into two main categories:

? General factors

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Dental Nursing and reading some of our resources. To read more, please register today. You’ll enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included

  • Up to 2 free articles per month

  • New content available

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here