I have been told that I have an impacted canine tooth; What does this mean? The canine tooth is the ‘corner’ tooth; it is the ‘number 3’ tooth in dental charting. There are two in the top jaw and two in the bottom jaw. Canine teeth have a longer eruption path than other teeth, which makes it more difficult to predict their movements. Many erupt spontaneously without any problems. Others can become impacted; which is where they do not grow into the mouth and stay buried in the jaw bone. They can become stuck or blocked from coming through by other teeth. Approximately 3% of the general population will have an impacted canine.
There are a number of potential treatment options. The orthodontist will discuss with you the most suitable options in your individual case. The appropriate treatment option will be dependent on many associated factors.
The buried tooth may cause damage to the roots of the front teeth, which could result in loss of the canine and other front teeth that have become damaged. The canine may start to grow through when you are older in an incorrect position, which may lead to you considering adult orthodontic treatment.
Option 2: Operation to uncover the buried tooth and bring it into the correct position in the mouth.
Dental radiograph to show canine impaction upper left Option1: ‘Doing nothing’ may be considered if the canine is impacted but there are potential problems that may occur that you should to be aware of.
Fixed braces are fitted to all of the teeth that are fully grown through. It is not known how long the full treatment with fixed braces will be. It can often take more than 2 years for the treatment to be completed. You may hear the procedure being referred
to as an ‘expose and bond’ by the orthodontic team. What does the operation involve? You have a short treatment in hospital under general or local anaesthetic. The surgeon creates a small window in the gum so that they can see the buried tooth. A small fixture is attached onto the tooth with a thin gold coloured chain which comes out of the gum. This chain is attached from the buried tooth to the brace to ‘guide’ the tooth and help it to move into the mouth. After the operation you will have some stitches so that the gum covers the tooth back over. You will be advised of how to keep the area clean and help it to heal. Will the treatment work?
Usually. However in some rare cases the buried tooth becomes fused (or joined) to the jaw bone and it will not move. The buried tooth may need to be removed and you may require further dental treatment to replace the tooth.
You do not want to wear a fixed brace The rest of your teeth are completely straight with no gaps The buried tooth is in a poor position and unlikely to be able to be moved, or is causing you problems.
If your baby canine is left in place, you may need further dental treatment in the future. It is not known how long your baby canine will stay in your mouth, it may fall out when you are older as it is a small tooth with a shorter root. Dental photograph to show treatment to encourage eruption of impacted upper canines Option 3: Operation to remove the buried tooth completely. This option may be suitable if:
Remember: Every patient is different, the orthodontic team will discuss the options suitable to you, and the treatment option that you choose will always be your own decision.