Teeth that have not erupted are not necessarily impacted. It may be that it is still too early in someone's dental development, and if time passes they might grow in properly. A dentist must examine a patient's mouth and his or her x-rays to determine if the teeth are impacted or will not grow in properly. Impacted teeth may cause problems. Impacted teeth can result in infection, decay of adjacent teeth, gum disease or formation of a cyst or tumor from the follicle, which is the tissue which formed the crown of the tooth.
Many dentists recommend removal of impacted wisdom teeth to prevent potential problems.
Erupted wisdom teeth may also need to be removed. The dentist may recommend this if the tooth is non-functional, interfering with the bite, badly decayed, involved with or at risk for periodontal disease, or interfering with restoration of an adjacent tooth. Once again, every case is different and only your dentist can determine if there is a reason for you to have a tooth removed. The following symptoms may indicate that the wisdom teeth have erupted and surfaced, and should be removed before they become impacted-meaning, the teeth have surfaced and have no room in the mouth to grow. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently.