Seven Hills - Impacted Canines

Impacted Canines

Human beings have two sets of canines, upper and lower. The teeth are positioned beneath one’s eyes because they play a role in protecting it from harm when fighting off attackers or running away quickly. These “eye teeth” typically come out at age 13 with the last ones being longest to erupting first among all other teeth types throughout our mouths' lifetime.

An impacted tooth essentially means that it is blocked, stuck or unable to fully erupt and function properly. Third molars (wisdom teeth) most commonly fall victim of impaction but the upper canine can also become impacted if not treated for this condition:

Closing Gaps – Canines are the last of the front teeth to fall into place and therefore close any unsightly gaps between the other upper teeth.
First Touch – Canines play a vital role in the “biting” mechanism of the teeth. They touch first when the jaw closes, and guide the other teeth into position.
Proper Alignment & Function – Canine teeth are essential to the correct alignment and function of the other teeth on the dental arch. Missing or impacted canines can greatly affect the function and aesthetic appearance of the smile.

What causes canine teeth to become impacted?

There are several main causes for impacted canine teeth:

Extra Teeth – If extra teeth are present, the natural eruption of the canine teeth may be inhibited. The eruption progress of the canine may be directly blocked by an extra tooth or the subsequent overcrowding might leave no room on the dental arch for the canine.

Overcrowding – In some cases, poor alignment of the front teeth can lead to overcrowding. The existing teeth compete for space which means that the canines do not have sufficient room to become functional.

Unusual Growths – On rare occasions, unusual growths on the soft tissue of the gums can restrict the progress of canine teeth, which leads to later impaction.

Early and thorough examination of teeth can pre-empt problems with impacted canines. It is important for the dentist to document number of present when patient is around 7, in order record presence or absence canine tooth(s). The older they get this less likely it will that an erupted naturally; if these are missing/slowly emerging then proper treatment recommended by us .

What does the treatment of impacted canines involve?

If your mouth is overcrowded and you're in need for teeth extraction, the dentist may recommend that they be removed. The procedure will generally happen without anesthesia using local anesthetic; when it's time to make space again, we'll simply remove these outgrown pearly whites.

In the case of younger patients, an orthodontic brace may be fitted to create a space on the dental arch for impacted Canine’s. Surgery usually does not require an overnight stay and pain medication will be prescribed as necessary with instructions about post-surgery care given during your recovery time .

Oral Examination

The dentist typically begins by examining the teeth and conducting panorex x-rays to determine whether an impacted tooth is present. There will be several treatment options available for various ages depending on what's causing it: some kids need help with their canines, while adults may require surgery or orthodontics instead of dentistry services.