Exposure of Impacted Canines

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• General Description
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• FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
• Postoperative Instructions: ENGLISH
• Postoperative Instructions: SPANISH: las Instrucciones

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Certain are impacted and are important to retain in the mouth for cosmetic and functional reasons. One such tooth that commonly becomes impacted or unerupted is the upper canine or “eye tooth”. The second most common tooth to have this problem is the second molar. Keep an eye on both these teeth because they should progressively start to erupt and continue to erupt around the age of 11 years. Wisdom teeth or third molars are often impacted but these are seldom important in retaining because there is not usually enough space in the arch to accommodate these teeth.

The eye or canine tooth is important to retain in most cases. The orthodontist will make special arrangements to have enough space for this tooth to erupt. Sometimes the orthodontist will request the extraction of an upper bicuspid or premolar (the tooth immediately behind the canine tooth) to make enough room for it. In this procedure, Dr. Heffez opens up the gum, removes bone and sticks or bonds a special orthodontic bracket on the tooth. This bracket has a chain on it often called a gold chain because of its color. It is not, however, gold. The orthodontist then pulls on the chain slowly to pull the tooth into the arch. This is NOT a painful procedure although it may sound painful. It may take a few months to a year to get the tooth into the right place. The ability to slowly extrude or pull the tooth into the arch depends on the length of the canine root, the position of the tooth, your age, and the space between the tooth and the bone. Dr. Heffez will examine you and tell you more about your impacted tooth.

FAQ