Do You Have to Have Surgery for Impacted Canines?

Canine teeth are teeth located on either side of the lower and the upper jaw, teeth that usually have a more pointed shape than the other teeth, vaguely similar to fangs. Canines play an important role in appearance as well as in chewing, grinding and biting, therefore any fault that affects them, such as impaction (the failure of the tooth to grow in the correct direction) needs to be corrected. The correction might or might not involve surgery – here is what you should know about the process:

• Canines that have not erupted at all or that have erupted incorrectly are usually helped with methods that make space for the impacted tooth and a small incision – the process will help the struggling tooth move in the right direction and it might involve the installation of a dental realignment device, such as braces;
• Extraction might also be necessary – in some cases, one of the teeth surrounding the impacted canine need to be removed, possibly even wisdom tooth removal Park Ridge offices offer;
• For some patients, braces can do all the work – in some cases, the movement of the teeth surrounding the affected canines is enough, the braces correct the direction of the teeth and the space created allows the canines to move in the right direction, too.