Impacted Canines
What is an Impacted Canine?
When a tooth is stuck in the mouth and cannot successfully emerge, it is considered to be impacted. This often occurs with wisdom teeth but can occur to the canine teeth just as easily. Canines are the last of the front teeth to erupt into place and usually start to emerge around the age of 13. When a canine tooth becomes impacted, a procedure called expose and bond is done to expose the impacted tooth and reposition it correctly in the dental arch. This procedure is safe, effective, and involves frequent communication between Dr. Curtis and your orthodontist.
Dr. Curtis has years of experience in assessing and treating impacted teeth, including many years of practicing oral surgery while serving in the United States Army. If your dentist has referred you or your child for the treatment of impacted canines, we invite you to call our office and schedule a consultation with our oral surgeon. During your consultation, Dr. Curtis will discuss anesthesia options and select the right choice for you or your child so that you can be treated comfortably.
What Causes Canine Impaction?
All of your teeth need to develop in healthy alignment for excellent performance and appearance. When a tooth is impacted, it can affect its function and the appearance of your smile. There are a number of causes for canine impaction. It often occurs as a result of one or more of the following:
- Extra teeth blocking the eruption progress of the canine
- Poor alignment of your front teeth
- Genetics
- Early loss or removal of your baby teeth
- Mismatching teeth shape and size
- Abnormal growths of the soft tissue of the gum that restrict canines from properly erupting
If you are visiting our practice regarding an impacted canine, you can rest assured that you and your loved ones are in excellent care. At Upstate Oral Surgery & Dental Implants, we strive to make you feel welcome. Dr. Curtis and his staff are highly trained in all areas of oral and maxillofacial surgery and are here to help care for you and your family. In the rare event that the canine tooth is unable to be saved, Dr. Curtis is happy to discuss options of tooth replacement with you, such as dental implants, to ensure you have the smile and confidence that you deserve.
The Expose and Bond Procedure
Every patient is different and everyone’s mouth and teeth require individualized care. For the majority of expose and bond procedures, your oral surgeon and your orthodontist will work together to help these unerupted canine teeth emerge in the mouth. Typically, your orthodontist will place braces on the teeth in an effort to make space for the canine to move into. Once the space is ready, your oral surgeon will expose and bracket the tooth.
This is a simple surgical procedure that is performed in our office located in Watertown, NY. Dr. Curtis will administer the chosen method of anesthesia and lift the gum on top of the impacted tooth, exposing the canine underneath. A gold bracket and chain will be attached to the buried tooth. This is what your orthodontist will use to help move the tooth into the correct position. Dr. Curtis will stitch the surgical site closed, leaving only the chain visible as it hangs through a small hole in the gum and is still attached to the canine with cement.
You can expect to visit your orthodontist within 2 weeks after your surgery. From here, the process will begin to move the tooth into its proper location using a rubber band. Some discomfort is expected during this process, but your team of dental professionals will talk to you about simple pain relief medications and other at-home methods for reducing pain. The length of this process varies, and our team works closely with you at all times to ensure you experience minimal discomfort and are informed about the process.
Utilizing expose and bond procedures for impacted canines are highly effective and aids in the overall health of your mouth and smile. Dr. Curtis is here to care for you and ensure that you are being given outstanding care. Please contact our office today to request a consultation with our highly trained and experienced oral surgeon and his staff to assess and treat your impacted canines.
Types of Anesthesia
Upstate Oral Surgery & Dental Implants offers in-office anesthesia to maximize your comfort. Here are some of our anesthesia and sedation options:
Patient Testimonials
Hear from our patients about their experiences with Impacted Canines and other procedures.
"My name is Alexa, I am from Plessis, New York. I came to Upstate Oral Surgery to have my wisdom teeth out. The environment was very warm and welcoming. Dr. Curtis is very nice. The team here at Upstate Oral Surgery is amazing. They all work together, they all get along. The procedure went very well. I did not have any discomfort. Now that I’ve had the procedure, all the pain I was experiencing is gone. My overall experience at Upstate Oral Surgery was fantastic. Out of one to five stars, I would give Dr. Curtis five stars."
"Hi, my name is Alora and I’m from Theresa. I came to Upstate Oral Surgery & Dental Implants to get orthognathic surgery. When I first came to Upstate Oral Surgery & Dental Implants, it was very welcoming and bright in here. Everybody was so friendly and whenever you had a question, they would always be right there to answer it and they were super supportive with any decision you made. Dr. Curtis is very funny and always makes you feel comfortable and always double-checks to make sure everything is okay. Having this procedure was a truly life-changing experience for me, and I’m very grateful. To my friends in Adams Village and Adams Center, I highly recommend Upstate Oral Surgery & Dental Implants. They gave me an amazing smile and Dr. Curtis is the best."
"Hi, my name is Amber and I’m from Le Fargeville and I came to Upstate Oral Surgery & Dental Implants Center to get a full upper arch surgery. When you walk into the center, the staff is amazing. They’re always smiling. You know you’re in good hands. Everything will be taken care of. Dr. Curtis is a very kind and very welcoming person. Any questions, he’s thorough with it and explains the procedures to you. My procedure was a complete success. After having this procedure, it’s nice to smile now, to go out in public, and feel confident about who I am. I highly recommend Dr. Curtis and his staff. They changed my life and they can change yours too."
"My name is Ann Marie and I am from Watertown and I took my children to Upstate Oral Surgery to get their teeth extracted. My overall experience was wonderful. The staff is great, the doctor is very nice, and it was a really good experience. Dr. Curtis is wonderful. He’s very happy. He’s very charismatic. You can tell that he loves his job, and I was very comfortable putting the needs of my children in his hands. The staff is wonderful. You can tell that they have a good vibe with each other. They work really well with each other. I would absolutely recommend Upstate Oral Surgery. If you were a mom looking for a place to bring your kids, this is it. It’s wonderful."
"Hello, my name is Brenda and I'm from Antwerp, and I came to Upstate Oral Surgery & Dental Implants for an extraction and implants. I had a great experience. Everybody made me feel very calm and they were very accommodating. Dr. Curtis put my mind at ease and made me feel very comfortable. The staff here are very friendly and they make you feel very relaxed. The procedure went great, and I left here with a great smile. Out of five stars, I would give this practice five stars. "
"Hi, I'm Brett and I'm from Watertown. I came to Upstate Oral Surgery and Dental Implants for a dental implant. When I first walked into the practice, I felt very comfortable. The overall experience was great. The staff were very friendly. Dr. Curtis knew what he was doing, and he did a great job. I'm very happy with the results.The implant has greatly improved the quality of my life. I feel more confident, um, especially in smiling and talking with other people. I would definitely recommend Dr. Curtis and Upstate Oral Surgery and Dental Implants."
"My name’s Christina, I’m from Copenhagen, New York, and I came to Upstate Oral Surgery to get my wisdom teeth extracted. When I first walked in, the environment was very professional and very welcoming. The staff did help me calm my nerves. They just kind of guided me along the way. Dr. Curtis’ chairside manner is very professional and very friendly. He’s a very personal person, and he makes you feel very comfortable. The procedure did go faster than I had expected. I feel very relieved now that I’ve had the procedure done. I don’t have to worry about my wisdom teeth anymore. My overall experience here at Upstate Oral Surgery was phenomenal. I would highly recommend Dr. Curtis to everybody."
"Hi, my name is Chukita and I'm from Watertown and I came to Upstate Oral Surgery to get an extraction and implant. When I first walked in, I knew I was in a room full of professionals. Dr. Curtis made me feel like I was family, and he even called to check up on me after my procedure to see how I was feeling. I really appreciated that. Now I have a healthy smile, and it's all thanks to Dr. Curtis and his wonderful staff. I highly recommend the team because, coming here, I felt like I was a member of the family, and I really felt like everyone sincerely cared about my care. "
"Hi, I’m Emily. I’m from Watertown, and I came to Upstate Oral Surgery to have a tooth extracted. My overall experience with Upstate Oral Surgery was fantastic. I have severe anxiety coming in to the dentist, and the staff was fantastic. They calmed me, they told me what would happen, they never let me feel anxious, they were great. Dr. Curtis is very wonderful. He’s very involved. He will explain everything that’s going on. The procedure I had went quicker than I expected. I was back to my normal routine the next day after having my tooth extracted. I would recommend Upstate Oral Surgery to everyone because they are fantastic. They will treat you like family and will do their very best."
Learn More About Us
We would like you to explore our website and learn more about our practice, the services we offer, and the expert-level treatment that you can expect from Dr. Curtis. We are honored to care for the people in our area and provide them with the health, smile, and confidence they need to live happy and healthy lives. Your team at Upstate Oral Surgery & Dental Implants looks forward to meeting with you and learning about how we can take the steps together towards fulfilling your oral surgery needs.