Have you every had a tooth erupt in the wrong place? While not uncommon, this impaction does require treatment. If teeth erupt in the wrong place or at the wrong time, it can affect your whole mouth. With an impacted tooth, the tooth doesn’t break through your gums. Since it is trapped inside the gum tissue, it can cause cysts and damage to surrounding teeth. While wisdom teeth are typically the most common cause of tooth impaction, the second most common cause is your canines.
Canines (your eyeteeth, or maxillary cuspids) are the pointy teeth that sit between your incisors and premolars. Early detection is important to providing the most successful and noninvasive treatment possible. If your eyeteeth don’t erupt normally, our oral surgeon, Dr. Daniel Cannon will utilize dental X-rays to determine the tooth’s position and make sure nothing is obstructing the way.
To expose an impacted canine, he will remove the gums that cover the tooth. This is often all that is needed to allow the tooth to resume growing normally. In more complex cases, an orthodontic attachment may be required. This is bonded to the tooth, applying a gentle force that leads the tooth to move into proper position. The process of erupting an impacted canine tooth often requires several months up to a full year.
To learn more about impacted canines or to make an appointment, please call our Cannon Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery team in Tulsa, OK, at 918.743.1351. We will make sure your impacted canine teeth are properly treated to restore your healthy smile!