Treatment for Impacted Canines

An impacted tooth is one that either has not erupted when expected to or is unable to erupt through the gum and bone. When these teeth are stuck in the jaw, it can cause various issues, including painful infections. While most people are familiar with impacted wisdom teeth, many do not know that the upper canine teeth are the second most common to become impacted. Because canine teeth play a vital role in your bite and oral health, it’s important to seek treatment to allow them to emerge correctly. At Dr. Bostani’s Advanced Dental in Burbank, California, our team goes above and beyond to provide treatment for impacted canines.

What causes impacted canines?

There are several reasons that your child’s canine teeth may not be able to erupt properly. Some of the most common include:

  • Baby teeth have not fallen out yet
  • Crowding or misalignment that blocks the tooth’s path
  • Extra teeth in the mouth
  • Unusual growths blocking the eruption

Early diagnosis is critical to success

As your child gets older, the likelihood that an impacted canine will not erupt naturally increases. One of the best ways to identify an impacted canine early is through routine screening during dental examinations. Starting around the age of 7, panoramic x-rays are taken to count the number of teeth and identify any potential problems that could affect proper eruption. The earlier the impact is detected, the easier it is to develop a path for the canine to erupt correctly on its own into the dental arch.

Treatment for impacted canines

The expose, and bond procedure is one of the most common and effective methods of treating impacted canines. This treatment involves your oral surgeon and orthodontist’s partnership to clear the impacted tooth’s eruption path.

In the most common scenario, the orthodontist will use braces on the teeth to create room for the impacted canine to move into the proper position. If the baby tooth has not yet fallen out, it is often left in place until the adult tooth is ready.

When the space is ready, an oral surgeon will perform a minor procedure exposing the tooth and then bond a bracket to the tooth. The bracket has a chain that attaches to the orthodontic wire to help move the impacted canine tooth into its correct position. This controlled treatment can take up to a year to complete.

Treatment of impacted canines in Burbank, California

At Dr. Bostani’s Advanced Dental, we’ve successfully managed the eruption of impacted teeth for many years, making the process as smooth as possible. If you would like to request a consultation, please call us at (818) 918-5533.