Impacted Tooth

An impacted tooth is a tooth that fails to fully pass (emerge) through the gums. An impacted tooth remains stuck in gum tissue or bone possibly because the teeth are overcrowded and there is not enough room in the mouth for the new tooth to come through. Another possible reason that the tooth cannot fully pass through the gums is that it may be tilted, twisted, or displaced when the teeth emerge. The problem with an impacted tooth is that it can push on nearby teeth and may cause a misalignment of the bite.