Canine teeth are among the most commonly impacted teeth after wisdom teeth, and when one fails to erupt on its own, orthodontic treatment alone usually can’t finish the job — the tooth needs to be surgically exposed and connected to orthodontic hardware before it can be guided into position.

Why canines get impacted: insufficient space in the arch, an abnormal eruption path, or the tooth simply being positioned in a way that prevents it from breaking through the gum on its own timeline. Left untreated, an impacted canine can damage the roots of neighboring teeth, develop a cyst, or simply never erupt at all.

How the surgical-orthodontic process works together:

1. Orthodontic imaging and planning identifies the exact position of the impacted tooth and typically creates space in the arch for it beforehand
2. Surgical exposure — the oral surgeon uncovers the impacted tooth by removing the gum tissue (and sometimes a small amount of bone) covering it
3. Bracket bonding — a small orthodontic bracket with a gold chain is bonded directly to the exposed tooth during the same surgical visit
4. Orthodontic guidance — the orthodontist attaches the chain to the braces or other appliance and gradually guides the tooth into proper alignment over the following months

Why timing and coordination matter so much here: operating too early, before there’s adequate space in the arch, or too late, after root development has progressed too far, can affect how successfully the tooth responds to guided eruption. This is a genuinely two-specialist procedure — the orthodontist’s positioning plan and the surgeon’s exposure technique both need to align for a good outcome.

What to expect from the surgical portion: typically performed under local anesthesia or light sedation, this is a relatively quick procedure with straightforward recovery, comparable to a minor extraction in terms of discomfort and healing time.

Our oral surgeons at Falcon Implants & Oral Surgery coordinate directly with referring orthodontists on impacted canine exposures, aligning surgical timing with the orthodontic treatment plan. If your orthodontist has identified an impacted canine, we’re glad to work as part of that team.