Guided Eruption of Impacted Teeth

All of your teeth play an important role in your oral health and function. When a tooth is blocked from erupting into the dental arch, it is considered to be impacted and can jeopardize your ability to eat and speak or negatively affect the appearance of your smile. Impacted teeth require treatment from dental professionals, typically an oral surgeon and an orthodontist.

At Full Smile Orthodontics, Dr. Astuto treats impacted teeth with guided eruption, which involves pulling the tooth into the dental arch with braces after the tooth has been surgically exposed. If you or your child have an impacted tooth, contact our practice to schedule an appointment with our board-certified orthodontist. We have offices in Amarillo, Childress, Dalhart, and Hereford, TX, and will create a custom treatment plan for your or your child’s orthodontic needs.

What Causes an Impacted Tooth?

Permanent teeth erupt into the dental arch on their own after baby teeth fall out. Sometimes, a permanent tooth becomes stuck beneath the gums or only partially erupts, resulting in impaction. Other factors may cause an impacted tooth, including:

• Genetics
• Not enough room in the dental arch
• Overcrowded and/or misaligned teeth
• Extra teeth
• Unusual growths that block the tooth’s path of eruption

Why Treat an Impacted Canine Tooth?

An impacted tooth is most often a wisdom tooth because many people do not have room for an extra set of molars. Because these molars are extra teeth that are unnecessary for oral function, they are simply extracted. Canine teeth, however, are necessary for biting and tearing food, and every effort is made to save them. They have the longest roots of any tooth and help guide the other front teeth into proper alignment. Canine teeth are designed to be the first teeth that touch when the jaw closes, contributing to a healthy bite.

Most canine teeth erupt around the ages of 9–13. If a tooth has not erupted by 13, it will likely not erupt on its own and require treatment. Undergoing treatment for an impacted canine at this age will yield optimal results because we can monitor the development of the child’s teeth and jaws and correct other orthodontic issues early. The older the patient gets, the less likely it is that the tooth will erupt naturally, even if there is enough space.

Leaving an impacted canine tooth untreated may cause the front teeth to shift out of place, making it difficult to take even bites of food. If you cannot clean around the tooth, it can develop cavities or lead to tooth decay, which can spread to other teeth and gums. When a canine tooth is impacted, it may also negatively affect the appearance of your smile, leading some people to hide their teeth or avoid smiling and laughing around others. It’s important to treat an impacted tooth to avoid oral health problems and to achieve a straight smile you can feel proud of.

Expose and Bond Treatment

Your orthodontist and oral surgeon will work together to perform the expose and bond treatment. First, we will take 3D scans of your mouth to assess your orthodontic needs and design a custom treatment plan. We will use braces to create enough space for the impacted tooth and correct other orthodontic issues, such as general misalignment.

When there is enough space, your oral surgeon will perform a straightforward procedure to expose the impacted tooth and attach a bracket with a gold chain attached. This chain is connected to your braces, which we will use to pull the tooth into the correct position. Guiding the tooth into the dental arch with braces is a gradual process that may take months or years, depending on other orthodontic issues you are looking to correct. If the impacted tooth cannot be saved, you have the option to extract the tooth and replace it with a dental implant.

Guided Eruption of Impacted Teeth in Amarillo, Childress, Dalhart, and Hereford, TX

Treating an impacted canine tooth will not only help the tooth function, but it will also contribute to better overall oral health and help you feel more confident about your smile. Contact Full Smile Orthodontics today if you or your child requires treatment for an impacted tooth and to explore your orthodontic treatment options. We offer treatment for impacted canine teeth in Amarillo, Childress, Dalhart, and Hereford, TX.