In some cases, a tooth does not break through the gums and remains stuck in the bone and gum tissues. This is known as an impacted tooth. Wisdom teeth are the teeth that are usually impacted, as there is not enough room in the dental arch for them to properly erupt, but impaction can happen to other teeth as well. Impacted wisdom teeth are typically extracted in order to prevent oral health problems for the other teeth, the gums and the jawbone.

After wisdom teeth, the most commonly impacted teeth are the upper canines, or eye teeth. When these teeth to not erupt normally, our dentist will first check the position of the adjacent teeth to make sure that the canines have enough space to erupt. X-rays may be taken to determine if the teeth are impacted, as well as checking the position of the teeth and determining if the impacted teeth are having any effect on the neighboring teeth and supporting oral structures. Our team will then create a treatment plan to expose the impacted canines so that they can erupt properly and receive any additional treatments that may be needed.

When exposing an impacted upper canine, our dentist will remove the gums that cover the tooth. For some patients, this is enough to allow the tooth to grow in as normal. For others, we will bond an orthodontic attachment to the impacted tooth. This attachment is connected to a small chain that is used to apply gentle force to bring the tooth into position.

Call our office today to make an appointment with our dentist and for more information about how orthodontic tooth exposure can benefit you.