Exposure of Impacted Teeth
An impacted tooth simply means that it is “stuck” and can not enter (erupt) into the mouth. Patients frequently develop problems with impacted wisdom teeth which are the most common form of impacted teeth that need removal. However, the maxillary cuspids (upper eye teeth) are the second most common teeth to become impacted. The cuspid teeth are critical teeth in the dental arch and play an important role in your “bite”. They are very strong biting teeth which have the longest roots of any human teeth.
Normally, the maxillary cuspid teeth are the last of the “front” teeth to erupt into place. They usually come in around age of thirteen and the older the patient, the more likely an impacted eye tooth will not erupt by nature’s forces alone. At an early age, it is important to determine whether all the adult teeth are present or if some are missing. In cases where the eye teeth will not erupt spontaneously, an orthodontist and oral surgeon work together to facilitate the uneruption of the eye teeth. The goal is to erupt the impacted tooth and not extract it.
Indications of a possible impacted eye tooth:
- Extreme crowding
- Extra teeth present
- Retained baby teeth
- Unusual growths that are blocking the eruption of the eye tooth
- Little or no space available causing an eruption problem with the eye tooth
The surgery to expose and place a bracket on an impacted tooth is very straight forward and is performed in our state of the art, in-office setting in an effort to maintain maximum patient comfort and safety under appropriate anesthesia. The gum tissue covering the impacted tooth is lifted up to expose the hidden tooth beneath. If there is a baby tooth present, it is removed at the same time. Once the tooth is exposed, your surgeon will bond an orthodontic bracket to the exposed tooth if requested by an orthodontist which will have a chain attached to the orthodontic wire. Each case must be evaluated on an individual basis but treatment will usually involve a combined effort between the orthodontist and the oral surgeon. You may also want to prepare for the procedure by visiting the After Exposure of Impacted Teeth.