Impacted Canines: Causes, Treatment & What to Expect
Maybe your child's orthodontist mentioned it, or your dentist spotted something unexpected on an X-ray: an impacted canine. It can sound worrying, especially when nothing hurts. The good news is that in many cases the tooth can be kept and guided into place.
Here's a plain-English guide to what impacted canines are, why they happen, and how they're treated.
What Is an Impacted Canine?
Your canines, also called cuspids, are the pointed teeth on either side of your front teeth. An impacted canine is one that doesn't come into its normal position. Instead, it stays partly or completely trapped beneath the gums or inside the jawbone. This most often happens with the upper canines.
Canines help guide your jaw when you chew and play a big part in your bite and your smile. That's why, unlike impacted wisdom teeth, which are often removed, impacted canines are usually saved whenever possible.
Why Do Canines Become Impacted?
There isn't always one clear cause. Common contributing factors include:
- Not enough space in the dental arch, or overcrowding
- Baby teeth that stay in place too long
- Unusual tooth development or growth patterns
- A cyst or other obstruction blocking the tooth's path
Sometimes the canine develops at an angle and ends up pressing against the roots of the teeth next to it. Left alone, that pressure can damage those neighboring roots.
How Impacted Canines Are Found
Many people with an impacted canine have no symptoms at all. The problem is usually discovered during a routine dental exam or an orthodontic evaluation, when X-rays show a tooth that isn't where it should be.
Finding it early matters, because timely treatment may improve the chances of guiding the tooth into alignment.
Pinpointing the tooth with 3D imaging
To plan treatment, your oral surgeon needs to know exactly where the canine sits. 3D cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) gives a detailed view of the tooth, the surrounding bone, the roots of nearby teeth, and other important structures. That information helps your surgical team build a precise plan and keep risks as low as possible.
How Impacted Canines Are Treated
Treatment for impacted canines is usually a team effort between your orthodontist and your oral surgeon.
Step 1: Making room
Often the orthodontist first creates enough space in the arch for the canine.
Step 2: Surgical exposure
Next, the oral surgeon performs a procedure called surgical exposure. The gum tissue covering the tooth is carefully opened so the tooth can be reached. A small orthodontic attachment may be placed on the tooth, and the surgeon takes care to preserve the surrounding tissues and structures.
Step 3: Guiding the tooth into place
With the attachment in place, the orthodontist can gradually and gently guide the canine into its proper position over time.
When removal is the better option
Sometimes keeping the tooth isn't realistic, for example if it sits in a position where eruption is unlikely or it has caused significant damage to nearby teeth. In those situations, tooth extraction may be recommended instead. Your surgeon will walk you through the benefits and risks of each option before recommending a plan.
Comfort and Recovery
Surgical exposure is typically done with local anesthesia. For patients who feel anxious about dental care or need extra comfort, sedation and anesthesia options are also available. You can learn more in our guide to sedation options for oral surgery.
Recovery is usually manageable. Mild swelling, tenderness, or gum sensitivity for several days is normal. Following your surgeon's instructions on oral hygiene, diet, medications, and activity helps the area heal and prepares the tooth for orthodontic movement. You can also review our general surgical instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will an impacted canine always need surgery?
Not always. Treatment depends on the tooth's position and your overall situation. Often it involves orthodontic care combined with surgical exposure, but the right plan can only be decided after an evaluation.
Can an impacted canine be saved?
In many cases, yes. Because canines are so important to your bite, the goal is usually to preserve the natural tooth. If saving it isn't realistic, your surgeon will explain the alternatives.
What happens if an impacted canine isn't treated?
An untreated impacted tooth may contribute to damage to neighboring tooth roots, cyst formation, infection, shifting teeth, and bite problems.
Schedule an Impacted Canine Evaluation
If your dentist or orthodontist has mentioned an impacted canine, an evaluation can help you understand your options. Every case is different, and a consultation is the best way to learn what's right for you. The surgeons at Mountaineer Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons, Dr. Byron Black and Dr. William Black, see patients at our offices at 1215 Virginia St E, Charleston, WV and 102 Memorial Dr, Ripley, WV.
Call Mountaineer Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons at 304-514-5500 to schedule a consultation, or visit our contact page to get in touch.