Impacted Teeth

An impacted tooth is a tooth that fails to fully erupt into the mouth. Impacted wisdom and canine teeth are common. To correct impacted teeth, there are a few treatment options. For impacted wisdom, the most common procedure is extraction if the position is such that they can contribute to future problems or are in a position that can hinder straightening of the other teeth by the orthodontist.

For impacted canine teeth, several treatment modalities are available. Treatment can involve orthodontics (braces) to create space to allow the tooth to erupt. Sometimes an impacted tooth will still not erupt even after creating enough space to accommodate the tooth. In these cases, it is necessary for a surgical procedure to expose the tooth and bond a chain to it that the orthodontist can then use to apply traction on the tooth and guide the eruption.