In a perfect world of dealing with imperfect teeth, an orthodontist can place braces on the teeth and achieve proper alignment for patients over the course of treatment.
But sometimes, straightening teeth isn't so simple; particularly in the case of impacted teeth.
The orthodontists occasionally treat patients with it and they think it's amazing what can be done to correct this problem.
Tooth impaction occurs when a tooth cannot erupt because it is blocked by another tooth, bone or soft tissue. It is important that impacted teeth be treated because without treatment, they can cause future dental problems. As it attempt to erupt, they can press against the teeth or bone that are blocking them and cause jaw pain.
Impacted canine teeth in particular can cause a host of problems.
Canines can erupt into an unfavorable position, sometimes even causing an adult tooth to fall out.
Impacted teeth also can create unwanted spaces in the mouth, damage the roots of nearby teeth, lead the teeth to function improperly or adversely impact the sinus cavity.
There are several methods of addressing impacted teeth:
oExpanders- used to create needed space for the tooth to improve its eruption path.
oOpen forced eruption- patient is referred to an oral surgeon, who will uncover the impacted tooth by creating a flap and leaving an area to place a button or bracket on it.
oClosed Forced Eruption- similar to open forced eruption, but the flap is closed once the button or braces are placed on the impacted tooth.
oExtraction- tooth is removed and any space left in the area can be treated by placing a dental implant or by closing the space via orthodontic methods.
oSurgical Repositioning- helpful in cases where impacted teeth have proven otherwise difficult to treat, this method involves carefully repositioning the tooth, which often is growing in the wrong direction and placing it in a semi-erupted position to provide the best chance for it to grow into place properly.