Orthodontic considerations in the treatment of maxillary impacted canines

The purpose of this article is to describe and discuss a relatively unknown and underestimated technical approach to the orthodontic extrusion of impacted canine teeth. It constitutes a preliminary report of a researcher project conducted in our undergraduate clinics on patients treated for orthodontic extrusion of impacted teeth. Of these patients, twenty-seven had maxillary canine impaction, sixteen unilateral and eleven bilateral, for a total of thirty-eight teeth. Some surgical considerations and various fixation appliances for impactions are discussed, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of exerting an extrusive force by means of a Hawley type of removable appliance.