What is an impacted tooth and why does it occur?

An impacted tooth is a tooth that hasn’t fully erupted within the jawbone or gum tissue, meaning it hasn’t taken its normal place. While it’s most common in wisdom teeth, it can also occur in canines and molars. This is most often due to insufficient jaw space, improper tooth eruption, or genetic factors. Impacted teeth may not always cause symptoms, but they can cause pain, swelling, infection, or deterioration of other teeth.