Impaction is the word for a tooth that hasn't found its way in, still stuck under the gum or bone.

In kid words

"Sometimes a tooth gets stuck on its way in, like it's waiting behind a door that hasn't opened yet, and that's called impaction." It isn't something you did, and a tooth taking its time doesn't hurt. Your dentist watches for teeth like this at every visit, the same way they watch all your other teeth grow in.

The parent version

Impaction describes a tooth that hasn't erupted into its expected position, typically because something stands in its way: not enough room, an angle pointing the wrong direction, or another tooth, bone or tissue blocking the path. Canine teeth near the front of the smile and the very last molars, often called wisdom teeth, are the two classic examples, mostly because of how much room and what path each one needs to arrive on schedule.

An impacted tooth can stay completely hidden under the gum or come in only partway, and what happens next is different for every child and every tooth. It isn't something to work out from a look in the mirror at home. If a tooth seems to be taking an unusually long time, ask your pediatric dentist what it looks like for your own child.

Where you might hear it at our office

A stuck tooth often first shows up as a question during a routine growth check, sometimes confirmed with a look at digital X-rays, which are taken only as needed rather than on a set schedule. From there, if a tooth needs help finding room or the right direction, that's usually the point where orthodontics enters the picture, since guiding teeth into place over time is exactly what that side of the practice is built around.

Curious about another word from today's visit? The rest of the Kids' Dental Dictionary is right here.

Related words

Words that often come up alongside impaction: canine, eruption, wisdom teeth.