Are there different types of impacted wisdom tooth?
Some teeth are fully impacted, failing to break through, or “erupt,” at all, while others are partially impacted, with part of the tooth poking out through the gums. Sometimes an impacted tooth lies in the jaw at an angle instead of sitting straight up. Impaction is a term used in dentistry when a tooth is stuck under the gum and jawbone. It could be because it does not have enough space or it is positioned in such a way that is impossible to erupt in your mouth. Lack of space occurs because our jaws have become smaller (through evolution), we do not loose teeth through decay as frequently as in the past, and our diet is such that our teeth do not wear down as much. An impacted tooth could be completely or partially covered with bone, hence called bony impaction or it could be under the gum, and then it is called soft tissue impaction.
