Impacted Teeth
We refer to any tooth that is blocked, stuck, or unable to fully erupt and function properly as “impacted.” This term is most commonly associated with wisdom teeth, but other teeth in the mouth—particularly those important to oral function—can also become impacted.
Of these teeth the most common are the upper canines (eye teeth). Normally, the canine teeth are the last of the “front” teeth to erupt into place, usually at around age 13. If a canine tooth gets impacted, every effort is made to save the tooth and bring it into a normal position in the mouth.
Once your orthodontist has placed braces to open a space for the impacted tooth, our doctor will expose and bracket the tooth in a simple surgical procedure performed under local anesthesia in our office.
Then, a day to 14 days after surgery, your orthodontist will attach a chain to your existing orthodontic wire, and intermittently tighten it to guide the impacted tooth into its proper place in the dental arch. This is a carefully controlled, slow process that may take up to a year to complete. Recovery from this procedure is usually uneventful with only mild discomfort and swelling.
Our doctor or one of our staff will be happy to discuss this procedure in more detail at the time of your consultation.
Please contact us with any questions you may have.
Medallion Periodontics provides exceptional periodontal care to the Sarasota community.