Impacted Canines

The maxillary cuspid (upper eyetooth) is the second most common tooth to become impacted. The cuspid teeth are very strong biting teeth and have the longest roots of all human teeth. They are designed to be the first teeth that touch when your jaws close together so they guide the rest of the teeth into the proper bite.If a cuspid tooth gets impacted, every effort is made to get it to erupt into its proper position in the dental arch.In cases where the eyeteeth will not erupt spontaneously, the orthodontist and oral surgeon work together to get these unerupted eyeteeth to erupt. Each case must be evaluated on an individual basis but treatment will usually involve a combined effort between the orthodontist and the oral surgeon.The most common scenario will call for the orthodontist to place braces on the teeth. A space will be opened to provide room for the impacted tooth to be moved into its proper position in the dental arch. Once the space is ready, the orthodontist will refer the patient to the oral surgeon to have the impacted eyetooth bracketed and/or exposed.In a simple surgical procedure performed in the surgeon's office, the gum on top of the impacted tooth will be lifted up to expose the hidden tooth underneath. If there is a baby tooth present, it will be removed at the same time. Once the tooth is exposed, the oral surgeon will bond an orthodontic bracket to the exposed tooth. The bracket will have a miniature chain attached to it. The oral surgeon will guide the chain back to the orthodontic arch wire where it will be temporarily attached.Shortly after surgery the patient will return to the orthodontist. A rubber band will be attached to the chain to put a light eruptive pulling force on the impacted tooth. This will begin the process of moving the tooth into its proper place in the dental arch.This is a carefully controlled, slow process that may take up to a full year to complete. Remember, the goal is to erupt the impacted tooth and not to extract it.