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The most common location of dry socket: in the socket of an extracted mandibular third molar (wisdom tooth). Since alveolar osteitis is not primarily an infection, there is not usually any pyrexia (fever) or cervical lymphadenitis (swollen glands in the neck), and only minimal edema (swelling) and erythema (redness) is present in the soft tissues surrounding the socket.
Wisdom teeth become impacted when there is not enough room in the jaws to allow for all of the teeth to erupt into the mouth. Because the wisdom teeth are the last to erupt, due to insufficient room in the jaws to accommodate more teeth, the wisdom teeth become stuck in the jaws, i.e., impacted. There is a genetic predisposition to tooth impaction.
Wisdom teeth may become stuck [3] and not erupt fully, if there is not enough space for them to come through normally. Impacted wisdom teeth are still sometimes removed for orthodontic treatment, believing that they move the other teeth and cause crowding, though this is no longer held as true. [4] [5]
Pericoronitis is inflammation of the soft tissues surrounding the crown of a partially erupted tooth, [1] including the gingiva (gums) and the dental follicle. [2] The soft tissue covering a partially erupted tooth is known as an operculum, an area which can be difficult to access with normal oral hygiene methods.
Removal of the necrotic pulp and the inflamed tissue as well as proper sealing of the canals and an appropriately fitting crown will allow the tooth to heal under uninfected conditions. [2] Surgical options for previously treated teeth that would not benefit from root canal therapy include cystectomy [12] and cystostomy. [12]
Typically the tooth is lifted using an elevator, and using dental forceps, specific tooth movements are performed (e.g. rocking the tooth back and forth) expanding the tooth socket. Once the periodontal ligament is broken and the supporting alveolar bone has been adequately widened the tooth can be removed.
Most often, the cause of impaction is inadequate arch length and space in which to erupt. That is the total length of the alveolar arch is smaller than the tooth arch (the combined mesiodistal width of each tooth). The wisdom teeth (third molars) are frequently impacted because they are the last teeth to erupt in the oral cavity.
The risk associated with wisdom tooth surgery is commonly accepted to be 2% temporary and 0.2% permanent. However, this risk assessment is not concrete as the same source [citation needed] is cited for lingual nerve paresthesia. It is well documented that inferior alveolar nerve injury is more common than lingual nerve injury.