Exposure Of Impacted Canines
This information will help you understand what happens when an upper canine tooth does not come through the gums properly and what treatments can help fix this.
The Problem
Sometimes, teeth can grow in the wrong place, and the upper canine is the most common tooth to be affected. Sometimes the premolar tooth can also grow in the wrong place. Often, these teeth lie across the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth.
Why Is Treatment Required?
The upper canine has a long root, making it a strong and important tooth for biting and for a nice smile. Sometimes these teeth stay hidden and don’t come through for many years or even a lifetime.
But they can cause problems like damaging the roots of other front teeth, pushing teeth out of place, or making it harder to move teeth during orthodontic treatment. Rarely, cysts can form around them.
Treatment is usually part of orthodontic care to help the tooth come through in the right place.
What Does the Treatment Involve?
Helping the tooth come through involves a small surgery. This is usually done with local anaesthetic (a numbing injection in the gum), but sometimes it is done under general anaesthetic (you are asleep) with the patient going home the same day.
The exact surgery depends on where the tooth is. One or more of these three procedures may be done:
- If the tooth is near the outside of the teeth (near the lip), the gum is moved and stitched higher up to show the top of the tooth. Sometimes a thin layer of soft bone around the tooth is removed.
- If the tooth is near the roof of the mouth, a small piece of gum and sometimes bone is taken away from the palate. An antiseptic dressing is put over the tooth and held by one or two stitches to protect the area and stop the gum from growing back over the tooth. This dressing stays for about 2 weeks and is easy to remove.
- If the tooth is very deep, the gum is lifted, the tooth is shown, and a small gold chain and bracket are glued to the tooth. The gum is put back, and the chain is stitched to the gum where the orthodontist can attach it to slowly pull the tooth into the correct place. This pulling usually starts a couple of weeks after surgery once healing has begun.
What Are the After Effects?
After surgery, there is usually only a little swelling and some soreness. This can usually be managed with simple painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen. Antibiotics are not usually needed.
A follow-up appointment is normally made about 2 weeks after surgery with the surgeon or orthodontist.
