Wisdom tooth impaction is one of the very common problems which start from the teenage and it’s the third molar tooth whose impacted position leads to various consequences and the people are left with an option of getting the wisdom tooth extracted surgically. But again, the severity of the wisdom tooth impaction depends on the angulation of the tooth in the jaw where it is embedded.
There are four particular types of angulations based on which Impacted teeth can be classified, although the types of impactions are not just dependent on this, because the severity increases with even the depth of the tooth from the level of crown of the adjacent teeth. Following are the different types of wisdom teeth based on their angulations.
![Impactions based on Angle]()
Mesioangular Impaction- Distoangular Impaction
- Horizontal Impaction
- Vertical Impaction
- Palatal Impaction
- Buccal Impaction
- Lingual Impaction
The mesioangular impaction accounts for about 43% of all mandibular impaction cases of third molars, and the third molar here is tilted towards the second molar, thus giving itself an angle mesially. The mesioangular impaction is the least difficult to remove.
The distoangular impaction is exactly opposite to that of mesioangular, as here you see the tooth tilting away from second molar. Thus, the tilt is said to be distal from the long axis of the second molar.
Vertical impaction accounts for 38% of mandibular impactions and it is where the long axis of the third molar is parallel to long axis of the second molar tooth, and the impacted third molar is deep embedded in the jaw. This type of impaction is considered the most difficult to remove. For a successful delivery and removal of the impacted tooth, one has to do more extensive bone removal.
Most of the mandibular third molar teeth are lingually tilted, because the lingual cortical plate gets thinner progressively from anterior to posterior.
The horizontal impaction is where the impacted third molar is horizontally placed, at an angle of 90-degree to the long axis of second molar.
If you feel you are having a impacted wisdom tooth and still haven’t visited a Dentist to get it checked, read the Wisdom teeth symptoms to see if you can relate to it. The most common way to treat a wisdom tooth impaction is by getting it removed, and most commonly it requires a surgical removal because the wisdom tooth is deep embedded into the jaw. Check out the reasons for extraction of wisdom teeth.
