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Surgical and orthodontic management of impacted maxillary canines

2004; Elsevier BV; Volume: 126; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.ajodo.2004.06.009

1097-6752

Vincent G. Kōkich,

Dental Trauma and Treatments

Although the mechanical management of impacted teeth is a routine task for most orthodontists, certain impactions can be frustrating, and the esthetic outcome can be unpredictable if the surgeon uncovers the impacted tooth improperly. When referring a patient to have an impacted tooth uncovered, the orthodontist might assume incorrectly that the surgeon knows which surgical procedure to use. However, if not instructed properly, the surgeon could select an inappropriate technique, leaving the orthodontist with the difficult if not sometimes lengthy and challenging task of erupting the impacted tooth into the dental arch. On the other hand, if the correct uncovering technique is chosen, the eruption process can be simplified, resulting in a predictably stable and esthetic result. This is especially true for impacted maxillary canines. After the third molars, the maxillary canines are the most commonly impacted permanent teeth. 1 Bass T. Observation on the misplaced upper canine tooth. Dent Pract Dent Rec 1967;18:25-33. Google Scholar About one third of impacted maxillary canines are positioned labially or within the alveolus, and two thirds are located palatally. 2 Johnston WD. Treatment of palatally impacted canine teeth. Am J Orthod 1969;56:589-96. Google Scholar In most situations, the appropriate timing and surgical procedure for uncovering an impacted canine are determined by specific criteria. This article will review the surgical and orthodontic management of impacted maxillary canines.