Impacted maxillary canines--a perennial problem

Ectopic eruption with impaction of maxillary permanent canine teeth is a frequently encountered clinical problem. Surgical exposure and attachment of a gold chain to impacted maxillary canines is often required in order to bring them into the dental arch and to allow good alignment. The principle of radiographic parallax is employed to determine whether the impacted canine is placed buccal or palatal to adjacent teeth. Good flap design allows adequate access to the impacted tooth. Bone removal should be adequate to free the impacted crown to its greatest circumference. An orthodontic eyelet with a gold chain is then bonded to the crown of the impacted tooth. Use of a good bonding technique will minimize chances of bond failure necessitating a second surgical procedure. A traumatic surgical procedure will allow minimal postoperative complications and a rapid recovery.

This article describes a surgical technique to expose impacted maxillary canines and attach gold chains, to facilitate orthodontic alignment into the dental arch. The principle of radiographic parallax to determine the bucco-palatal position of impacted canines is also discussed.