Tooth impaction

Impacted and embedded teeth are the two main types of "unerupted teeth" found in the oral cavity, and can sometimes be confused with each other. 'Impacted teeth' result from a situation in which an unerupted tooth is wedged against another tooth or teeth or otherwise located so that it cannot erupt normally. Not to be confused with the term "embedded," which is an unerupted tooth usually completely covered with bone. To distinguish the two terms, something that is physically blocking the pathway of eruption (such as another tooth) is the case for an impacted tooth whereas, the lack of eruptive force results in an embedded tooth.

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In terms of distribution, mandibular third molars are the most commonly found unerupted teeth, while maxillary third molars being second most common.