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Impacted canines (my daughter)

M

MountainMama

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 1, 2018
Messages
2,593
Before the covid, back in October, my daughter’s orthodontist told us she had impacted canine teeth that were laying sideways. He said to get the baby canines extracted ASAP and that the canines might move down on their own. He wanted to see her again early April, which got canceled.
My daughter is 12, and her baby teeth have been slow to come out. She got the baby canines extracted in December and then her baby premolar on the right came out. Now the premolar is coming in but no canines yet.
Is it still a possibility at this point that the canines may come down?
I know the alternative is surgery. I had the same issue and had to have surgery, and it was a horrible experience and recovery. Mine had moved to the roof of my mouth. I am hoping she doesn’t have to have this done.
I called and left a message asking when she can get back in. The orthodontist opened today.
She has already had an issue with an impacted canine on the bottom, where the lateral incisor was sideways and on top of it. She had her baby canine and premolar extracted to make room, and then wore braces to move the teeth.
 
It's probably unlikely now but the only way to tell is to take some x-rays to see if there's any movement, sorry.
 
It's probably unlikely now but the only way to tell is to take some x-rays to see if there's any movement, sorry.
I was afraid of that. Ugh. I know techniques have improved since I had it done many years ago. The positive is that she can go to my oral surgeon who is fantastic.
The orthodontist’s office called back and are getting her in on June 4. They will do x rays then.
 
Honestly the hardest part is bonding the anchor to the tooth
 
Honestly the hardest part is bonding the anchor to the tooth
When I had it done, I was in middle school. I was put under general anesthesia and when I woke up there were two plastic plates in the roof of my mouth, covering the teeth that needed to come down. I had those for awhile, then they pried them out (without any local anesthetic, which hurt in a way I can still remember). The orthodontist then placed brackets on the exposed teeth and wires, and attached brackets to my premolar and another tooth and pulled them down over the course of a year.
Is that how they still do it? It was incredibly painful with the plastic plates (I am guessing they had to remove bone?).
 
I don't know about the plastic plates. I bond the tooth during the surgery. In order to bond you must be able to glue to the buried tooth and with the area bleeding it's just difficult to control the environment,
 
I don't know about the plastic plates. I bond the tooth during the surgery. In order to bond you must be able to glue to the buried tooth and with the area bleeding it's just difficult to control the environment,
Interesting. The plates were the worst part of it, so if she could avoid that it wouldn’t be nearly as bad. I can see where that would be hard to do. I imagine, though, she would have the procedure done at the surgeon and the bracket put on at the orthodontist, as that is how things seem to be done here. Maybe not, though. I just pray it is easier than what I had done
 
Normally the surgeon puts the bracket on, it's much easier that way. When you mean plastic plates, was that like a plastic brace that covered most of your palate and hooked onto the canine?

When I was a student, the trendy thing was to make space for the canines by braces if required, then extract the impacted canine, drill a hole in the bone in the right place for it and then bung the canine into the hole. Bish bash bosh, job done with very little orthodontic effort.

Unfortunately it was discovered that within 5-10 years the canine would spontaneously self-destruct... :(
 
Normally the surgeon puts the bracket on, it's much easier that way. When you mean plastic plates, was that like a plastic brace that covered most of your palate and hooked onto the canine?

When I was a student, the trendy thing was to make space for the canines by braces if required, then extract the impacted canine, drill a hole in the bone in the right place for it and then bung the canine into the hole. Bish bash bosh, job done with very little orthodontic effort.

Unfortunately it was discovered that within 5-10 years the canine would spontaneously self-destruct... :(
The plastic “plates” (I can’t think of a better word for them) basically were a covering in my hard palate, over each tooth. I had two of them. They apparently had to cut into the bone and left really large gouges that were filled in with the plastic (maybe not plastic but it felt like it). They smoothed them out so it felt like they were flush with my palate. Then after a while...I can’t remember how long, maybe a month or so, I went back to the surgeon and he pried them out. The gums had grown over them and it hurt so badly! He had to cut the gums in a few places (no anesthesia) and then the canines were exposed. It has been a long time so maybe he attached the brackets then, instead of my orthodontist, but I know I had to wear that plastic stuff in my mouth for awhile. It felt like my gums were getting cut up all the time. It was miserable. I had deep grooves in my palate for a long time before the teeth were gradually pulled down and the bone and gums filled in.
 
Mountain mama.

o_Oo_O:o That sounds really OUCH.. eeks. I can imagine how I would be fretting my child also going through something like this having been through all that.. just sounds quite painful. like no break from the feeling for some time. agh. Hope there is a better solution for your daughter.
 
Mountain mama.

o_Oo_O:o That sounds really OUCH.. eeks. I can imagine how I would be fretting my child also going through something like this having been through all that.. just sounds quite painful. like no break from the feeling for some time. agh. Hope there is a better solution for your daughter.
From what the dentists here are saying, it sounds like they just attach the brackets to the tooth now. I hope that is the case. We will find out more on June 4.
 
I've honestly never heard of the procedure you went through MM, so let's hope your daughter doesn't have to go through it all. It's usually a time consuming process to drag the canines into place, but not a painful one...
 
I've honestly never heard of the procedure you went through MM, so let's hope your daughter doesn't have to go through it all. It's usually a time consuming process to drag the canines into place, but not a painful one...
After the plastic plates were out it didn’t hurt. Those things were the bad part. I do remember the oral surgeon telling my mom that I was an unusual case due to the position of the teeth so maybe that wasn’t a regular procedure.
Based on what you and comfortdentist are saying, she will probably have a different procedure so that makes me feel better.
 
She had her x rays taken but due to covid, the orthodontist had us leave and said he would call if he saw that the canines were not in a position to come down on their own. That was Thursday, so I am waiting. He said if we didn’t hear from him, all was good and he would see us in six months. I really wish he would just call either way.
He said she had four baby teeth left to come out, and she hasn’t gotten her 12 year molars in yet. She is 12 now so they will probably be in soon although there isn’t much space for them. Once her molars are in and her baby teeth out, she will get braces again.
I had figured the canines would have been through by now if they were going to in their own, especially since the premolars are now coming in. I guess I will still have hope unless I hear from the orthodontist.
 
The upper canines are last to come in, after the premolars normally. She's only 12 so it would be a bit early to get them right now.
 
The upper canines are last to come in, after the premolars normally. She's only 12 so it would be a bit early to get them right now.
Really? I didn’t know that. The orthodontist had said they were laying sideways and impacted, and had her baby canines extracted, saying we would see if the canines came down on their own or needed surgery. He made it sound like it would happen within the six months between appointments. With my background having the same issue, I assumed the worst.
That is really good to know the canines come in later! Maybe she won’t need surgery! Thank you!
 
Upper canines are after first premolars, lower canines are before. It's very confusing :)
 
Upper canines are after first premolars, lower canines are before. It's very confusing :)

Very confusing! Mine never came in, so I didn’t remember either. She seems to be taking after me with baby teeth slow to come out and adult teeth coming in all wonky. Her premolars are just now erupting so hopefully we hear nothing from the orthodontist and all is good!
 
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