Guided Canine Eruption

We provide orthodontic solutions for several kinds of misaligned teeth at Lehigh Valley Smiles. Our wide range of devices suit clients of many ages and preferences. However, there is one kind of malocclusion which can only be corrected in kids and which requires bracket-and-wire braces: guided canine eruption.

After wisdom teeth, canines are the teeth which most often get stuck before they can fully erupt. This is unfortunate not only because we rely on canines for piercing food, but also because their misalignment is much more noticeable and because the position of the canines is vital to maintaining arch stability. Because unerupted canines are at a different level from the rest of the teeth, linking their brackets with the others will require a chain or for a loop-shape called a ballista spring to be bent into the orthodontic wire. Guiding them into place will often take a year of orthodontic work.

Sometimes, not enough of the canine will have erupted for an orthodontic bracket to be attached. In these cases, the canine must be exposed by the removal of some gum tissue. Because of the bone shifts required to move canines out of the jaws, the procedure can only be done on children and teenagers whose facial bones have not yet fully solidified.  Though ballista springs may look intimidating, guided canine eruption is often necessary for a lifetime of good oral health.

Alan Dilsaver, DDS, FAGD, operates Lehigh Valley Smiles at 2601 Nazareth Road, Easton, Pennsylvania, 18045. To schedule an appointment, call 610-252-7414 or visit LehighValleySmiles.net and fill out a contact sheet.