Impacted Canines
Wilsonville, OR
 When we tell you that you have impacted canines, what do you think? Do you think about dogs? We can’t blame you. Senestraro Family Orthodontics think about dogs barking and growling when we say canine too. While you might think about dogs along with us, you have canine teeth in your mouth. There are two on the bottom and two on the top. You may not know this, but canine teeth are the most common teeth to get impacted. If you aren’t sure about where canines are, or how they can get impacted, we have some information for you.
What Are Canine Teeth?
Canine teeth are also known as cuspids. People also call cuspids fangs. That’s because they are pointier than the other teeth in your mouth. They can also be called eye teeth because they are located right below the eyes. Whatever you decide to call canine teeth, they are not like any other teeth in your mouth, because of their roots. The root system of canine teeth are thicker than any other tooth root. The tooth roots are also longer than any other teeth. Scientists think that canine tooth roots are longer because of the way you use canine teeth. You use the teeth to tear into difficult foods to tear and chew, such as steak. The canine teeth are also some of the last teeth to grow into place- usually around puberty.
What Happens When a Canine Tooth Gets Impacted?
If you have an impacted tooth, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a tooth is infected, although sometimes that can happen. An impacted tooth is stuck inside your gum or jawbone. Sometimes, a canine tooth gets stuck because it is being blocked by another tooth. Sometimes, the canine teeth refuse to erupt and take their place on top of your gumline. Some people think because wisdom teeth that are impacted can be removed from your mouth, canine teeth are the same way. While wisdom teeth are third molars that people don’t have to have, the canine teeth are different. You need them to bite and chew properly.
How Impacted Canines Are Treated
How we treated impacted, canines depends on what is causing the impaction. If the canine is impacted because there are extra teeth making it difficult for them to erupt, we may choose to extract one or more teeth. Sometimes, the canines can’t erupt because they are overcrowded. We might re-space the teeth to give the canine room to grow. If you have teeth that are poorly spaced, braces may not be the answer. Instead, we might use spacers, extenders or other appliances to help your mouth adjust so your canine teeth can erupt. There are lots of ways to fix impacted canine teeth.
If you have questions about your canines, we can help. Why not give Senestraro Family Orthodontics a call at (503) 582-8212. We would love to talk to you about your loved one’s canine problem. At least with your tooth canines, you don’t have to walk or feed them. |
