Procedures

ORTHODONTIC UNCOVERING

From time to time permanent teeth, usually the cuspids, fail to erupt (come into the mouth) properly. They are considered impacted and/or malposed. They can present many different problems including forming cysts, infections, damaging adjacent teeth, and creating crooked or malaligned teeth. Usually your orthodontist will request this type of surgical procedure. This may occur before your orthodontics start or during the course of orthodontics when a tooth will fail to come into proper position. The surgical procedure is to help bring the impacted tooth into proper position in your mouth usually requiring orthodontic movement of the tooth. Depending on the position of the tooth the tissue may have to be removed or repositioned to identify the tooth.

Sometimes the tooth is underlying bone in which case bone will need to be removed. As stated earlier, in order to help the orthodontist move the tooth a small attachment is usually bonded to the tooth and will have a wire or gold chain extending through the tissue into the oral cavity, sometimes attached to the orthodontic appliances or sometimes freely mobile in the mouth. This allows your orthodontist to have access to moving the tooth in whatever direction is needed. This process of orthodontic eruption of impacted teeth may take anywhere from 3 to 12 months. Usually this procedure is performed under intravenous anesthesia in the office.