The canine teeth, also called the maxillary cuspids or “eyeteeth”, are typically the last front teeth to erupt in the mouth, usually around age 13. As with wisdom teeth, there is often not enough space for them to erupt, causing them to become impacted. However, unlike wisdom teeth, the canines are far too essential to good aesthetics and function in the mouth to simply extract – instead, we must “coax” them into position.
Your canines are vitally important to your smile and your bite:
Aesthetics: The canine teeth are the cornerstones of the arch. Without them, the smile sinks and the lips look thinner.
Function: The canines are extremely strong and have the longest roots of any teeth. Without them, other teeth in the mouth are forced to work unusually hard, causing damage over time.
Children should be screened by our doctor first at age 7 to monitor the development of teeth, including the eyeteeth. By checking in early, you may be able to avoid extensive oral surgery down the road. If it seems likely that the canines are going to become impacted, we may be able to remove baby teeth in the area to ensure adequate space for canine development.
As you can see here, the treatment for impacted teeth gets more complicated as time goes on:
11-12 year olds: At this stage, we are able to preemptively make space for the canines, ensuring a good chance for successful eruption.
13-14 year olds: Even if we clear space for the canines, they will likely need to be “pulled down” into place with braces.
15 years +: As time goes on, the impacted tooth will fuse into position and the only remedy will be extraction and restoration.
Complications of untreated impacted teeth include the loss of neighboring tooth roots and cystic lesions.
Case Done by Dr. Isabelle Z. Segui at Cosmo Dental
The surgery to expose impacted canines is a comfortable procedure that is done under local anesthesia or under IV Sedation. Mild swelling and soreness may occur for several days following, and can be managed adequately with over the counter pain medicines. During the surgery, the crown of the tooth is uncovered. Depending on the severity of impaction, we may attach a bracket and gold chain to the tooth to “pull” it into place, or we may simply apply a dressing and let it find its own way. It is important to maintain good dental hygiene as part of your home care practice. We will schedule a follow up appointment about a week after surgery to check on your healing with Dr. Segui and her associates.
Case Done by Dr. Isabelle Z. Segui at Cosmo Dental
The surgery to expose and bracket an impacted tooth is a very straightforward surgical procedure that is performed in our dental office. For most patients, it is performed with local anesthesia. In selected cases it will be performed under IV sedation if the patient desires to be asleep, but this is generally not necessary for this procedure. The procedure is generally scheduled for 75 minutes if one tooth is being exposed and bracketed and 105 minutes if both sides require treatment. If the procedure only requires exposing the tooth with no bracketing, the time required will be shortened by about one half. These issues will be discussed in detail at your preoperative consultation with your doctor.
You can expect a limited amount of bleeding from the surgical sites after surgery. Although there will be some discomfort after surgery at the surgical sites, most patients find Tylenol or Advil to be more than adequate to manage any pain they may have. Within two to three days after surgery there is usually little need for any medication at all. There may be some swelling from holding the lip up to visualize the surgical site; it can be minimized by applying ice packs to the lip for the afternoon after surgery. Bruising is not a common finding at all after these cases. A soft, bland diet is recommended at first, but you may resume your normal diet as soon as you feel comfortable chewing. It is advised that you avoid sharp food items like crackers and chips as they will irritate the surgical site if they jab the wound during initial healing. Your doctor will see you seven to ten days after surgery to evaluate the healing process and make sure you are maintaining good oral hygiene. You should plan to see your orthodontist within 1-14 days to activate the eruption process by applying the proper rubber band to the chain on your tooth.
At COSMO DENTAL, led by Dr. Segui and her skilled team, we provide expert dental care in a warm and welcoming environment.
With clinics in Quezon City and Makati, we offer a full range of services—from routine check-ups and preventive care to advanced cosmetic and restorative treatments.
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