Wisdom Tooth X-ray

This xray taken by a dentist shows an example of a horizontally impacted lower right third (wisdom tooth) with an associated cyst surrounding it. The pink arrows on the dental xray mark the periphery of the cyst sac. The xray shows the reduced length of the distal root compared to the mesial root, the growth of which has been stunted by the presence of the cyst. The roots of the wisdom tooth are shown to be in close proximity to the ID nerve canal. A dentist planning extraction, would normally perform oral surgery for the removal of this wisdom tooth and associated cyst. Loss of vitality of the adjacent molar tooth would either require root canal treatment or extraction.