Impacted Canines

When a permanent canine (or adult canine) tooth fails to fully erupt, it can negatively affect the shape of your dental arch. In some cases, a permanent canine will be deeply impacted and the deciduous canine (or baby tooth) will remain even into the adult years. Since the shape and color of the deciduous teeth do not match the permanent teeth, a patient may benefit from having the baby tooth removed and the impacted tooth orthodontically moved into the proper position. In these cases, an orthodontist, family dentist, and oral surgeon work closely together to co-ordinate care for the patient.

To begin, a family dentist may recognize that your permanent canine is not erupting in the proper direction or at the appropriate rate. A referral is usually made to an orthodontist, where a treatment plan is formulated. The orthodontist may then refer the patient to an oral surgeon to surgically expose the impacted tooth and bond an orthodontic bracket to it. Once the tooth has been bonded with a bracket, the orthodontist gently pulls it into the ideal position over the months that follow.