Impacted Canines

Your canine teeth play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy bite and proper alignment of your teeth. These teeth are the first to touch when you bite down, guiding the rest of your teeth into their correct positions. However, sometimes canine teeth can become impacted, meaning they fail to properly erupt and function in the mouth. If left untreated, impacted canine teeth can lead to difficulties in eating, tooth decay, gum disease, and misalignment of other teeth.

Exposure and bonding is a common treatment for impacted canine teeth. With their extensive knowledge and experience, Drs. Hoverstad, Camp, Milewski, and Marrazzo at Raleigh Oral Surgery & Dental Implants are skilled in treating impacted canine teeth. We encourage you to contact our office in Raleigh or Clayton, NC, for a consultation with one of our oral surgeons.

What Is an Impacted Tooth?

An impacted tooth is one that fails to emerge or erupt from the gum line, causing it to remain trapped. In the case of canine teeth, which are located toward the front of your mouth, they can become impacted and fail to properly function. These canines are the second most commonly impacted teeth, after wisdom teeth.

A variety of factors can cause a tooth to become impacted. These include obstructions in the dental arch, overcrowding of teeth, or simply not having enough space in the mouth for the tooth to emerge naturally. When left untreated, impacted teeth can lead to a range of problems such as difficulty in eating, tooth decay, gum disease, and even misalignment of other teeth.

Causes of Impacted Canine Teeth

An impacted canine tooth occurs when the adult canine tooth does not erupt properly and becomes stuck in the jawbone. Several factors can cause this condition:

• A baby tooth or abnormal growth is blocking its path: Sometimes, a baby tooth may not fall out on its own, or there may be an abnormal growth that is obstructing the eruption of the permanent canine tooth.
• Dental overcrowding: When there isn't enough space in the dental arch for all the teeth to properly align, it can cause the canine teeth to become impacted.
• Not enough room in the dental arch: In some cases, the size and shape of the dental arch may not provide adequate space for the canine teeth to erupt naturally.

Treating an impacted canine tooth early improves the chances of successful eruption and function. When an impacted tooth is not addressed, it becomes more fused with the jaw bone. Once fused, exposure and bonding is no longer an option to treat the impacted canine tooth. The only solution left is to remove the tooth and replace it with a dental implant.

Exposure and Bonding Process

Exposure and bonding involves a surgical procedure to expose the impacted tooth. First, an incision is made in the gums to access the tooth, and a bracket with a chain is attached to it. This bracket is then secured to braces to align the tooth properly. An orthodontist will use this chain to guide the tooth into the dental arch over several months.

Collaboration between oral surgeons and orthodontists is crucial in treating impacted canine teeth. You should see your orthodontist within two weeks of the tooth exposure and bracketing to begin the alignment process. This teamwork between specialists is vital for the successful eruption, function, and aesthetic appearance of impacted canines.