Impacted Canine Questions

Washington, D.C. & Northern Virginia

What is an impacted canine?

When your canine tooth or “eye-tooth” of the upper jaw fails to erupt properly and grow into its appropriate position, then it is considered an impacted canine.

 

What causes an impacted canine?

Many factors can prevent a canine from growing into its normal position, including:

 

• Other teeth prohibiting proper growth
• Jawbone interference
• Inability for the canine to pierce through the gums due to associated pathology like cysts or tumors of the jaw

 

How is an impacted canine diagnosed?

Dr. Daria Hamrah strongly adheres to the American Association of Orthodontists’ recommendation that all dental patients have a panorex screening x-ray at the age of 7. Early detection is the best method to determine if a child has an impacted canine and if it will interfere with adult canine eruption.

 

It is essential that an impacted canine is addressed immediately, or potential complications that may arise that can inflict significant damage to your oral health.

 

What solutions are available to address an impacted canine?

Each individual case will warrant a different approach. Depending on your child’s circumstances, possible solutions include:

 

• Application of braces to provide adequate space for the eruption of adult teeth
• Surgical exposure of the tooth and attachment of a bracket to it. Your orthodontist then will attempt to pull the tooth into alignment using the bracket
• Oral surgery to extract baby teeth the body has retained for too long or adult teeth that may inhibit eruption of other, more important adult canines

 

As long as immediate action is taken, your impacted canine will typically be able to erupt normally. However, only a consultation with an experienced oral and maxillofacial surgeon can determine the appropriate method of treatment for your child.

 

What happens if the tooth fails to erupt normally?

If an impacted canine does not erupt naturally, Dr. Hamrah and your orthodontist can employ techniques to facilitate its eruption. This involves exposing the canine and bonding a bracket to the tooth.

 

The bracket will be temporarily attached to an orthodontic arch wire. Within the next two weeks, the patient must return to the orthodontist to have a rubber band attached to the chain. This will lightly pull on the impacted canine until it erupts into its desired position, which may take upwards of a year.

 

If you live in the Washington, D.C. or northern Virginia area, please contact the oral surgery office of NOVA SurgiCare today to schedule your consultation with Dr. Hamrah.

 

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