Hey guys!
I'm so excited to have found this website because I really have some questions that need to be answered! I have always had very good teeth. Every dentist I see tells me that I have very straight, healthy teeth. I also have a perfect bite. I have never even considered the thought of braces. I recently thought of getting Invisalign because I've noticed that I have two slightly rotated upper teeth that dentists told me "would just even out as I got older..." This didn't happen, so I got panoramic x-ray to send to the orthodontist before I went to get Invisalign. I am 14 years old, and they discovered that I have one impacted canine (eye) tooth, that is totally unerupted. I still have my baby tooth. The dentist made a huge deal of this and said that I had to get braces NOW and ASAP! He said that I couldn't do anything but get a full mouth of braces to fix this problem. Iwas shocked! I have been researching and have come across ideas like getting an implant. This makes much more sense to me. My impacted canine is fully grown as well, and it isn't hitting the roots of any other teeth. I am prepared for any surgeries. I am open to lingual braces (if absolutely necessary.) I just want to know if braces are the best thing for me? I mean is it safe to get braces on already pretty perfect teeth? Is it worth the cost? Is there anyone that hasn't touched their impacted canine? It it okay to just leave it? Could I get Invisalign and then just leave it? I mean I'm fine even just leaving my rotated teeth as they aren't very noticeable. I'm not self-conscious at all of my baby tooth, as it is quite large. lol, my mum didn't even know it was a baby tooth! Shoudl I fix this now? Any ideas or stories are welcome!
Thank you sooooooo much in advance! And I'm sorry for writing so much! and for asking so much as well!
-Dea
Impacted Canine Teeth and Braces?
Moderator: bbsadmin
Personally I would get the baby canine extracted and then get braces to pull down the un-erupted permanent tooth. This is the most natural solution and you retain all your own natural teeth. Getting a tooth implant is a pretty big deal - they literally drive a screw into your jaw bone and then attach a fake tooth on top of the screw post. It is also very expensive - more expensive than braces in many cases.
It sounds like you are apprehensive about this mainly because you don't want to wear braces (hey who does?), but you are at the perfect age for them. Growing up, nearly all of us early teenagers wore braces for 1-2 years - it became a rite of passage more than anything else. I've just recently been re-braced and let me tell you it's 1000x more socially acceptable to wear braces as a teenager than as an adult.
It sounds like you are apprehensive about this mainly because you don't want to wear braces (hey who does?), but you are at the perfect age for them. Growing up, nearly all of us early teenagers wore braces for 1-2 years - it became a rite of passage more than anything else. I've just recently been re-braced and let me tell you it's 1000x more socially acceptable to wear braces as a teenager than as an adult.
Uppers braced April 15, 2010.
Wisdom teeth extracted April 30, 2010.
Lowers braced May 12, 2010.
BSSO & 3-piece LeFort I April 22, 2011.
Braces off July 3, 2012!!
My surgery blog: http://jeremiahjaw.wordpress.com
Wisdom teeth extracted April 30, 2010.
Lowers braced May 12, 2010.
BSSO & 3-piece LeFort I April 22, 2011.
Braces off July 3, 2012!!
My surgery blog: http://jeremiahjaw.wordpress.com
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fluffybottom
- Posts: 385
- Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:28 pm
- Location: Hollywood, CA
- Contact:
I had an impacted canine. If I had gotten braces as a teenager, they would have been able to bring it down fine. My dentist warned me that if I didn't deal with it, it would cause me problems down the line.
Fast forward to 'down the line'.
I waited until my mid 30s to get braces. Because my canine had been left impacted and my baby tooth in place for so long, it caused bone lose that required them to pull my lateral incisor (the tooth between the canine and your front teeth) and now I have a bridge. I couldn't get an implant.
So my advice to you? Deal with it now. Because real teeth is always better than fake teeth.
Fast forward to 'down the line'.
I waited until my mid 30s to get braces. Because my canine had been left impacted and my baby tooth in place for so long, it caused bone lose that required them to pull my lateral incisor (the tooth between the canine and your front teeth) and now I have a bridge. I couldn't get an implant.
So my advice to you? Deal with it now. Because real teeth is always better than fake teeth.
I had my braces on for 2 years, 1 month, 2 weeks and 2 days.
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MyLittleTeeth
- Posts: 41
- Joined: Fri Oct 30, 2009 3:43 pm
I just had an impacted canine exposed and brought into place. Initially I went to an oral surgeon for a consultation on getting an implant, but he instead referred me to an orthodontist, and I'm glad he did. The implant procedure would have been really expensive - you have to pay for the extraction of the impacted tooth, wait for the area to heal, then there's an additional surgical procedure to place the implant, plus the cost of the implant itself. And, many times so much bone is removed during the extraction surgery that a bone graft is needed in order to place an implant.
My baby tooth was much smaller than my other teeth, so I wanted to do something about for aesthetic purposes. My dentist told me I could leave my baby tooth and impacted canine in place if I wanted to, but I'd have to get xrays taken frequently because as time goes on, impacted teeth can resorb the roots of the surrounding teeth (or something like that), causing all kinds of problems. I'd talk to your dentist about this option though, your situation may be different than mine.
Good luck with your decision!
My baby tooth was much smaller than my other teeth, so I wanted to do something about for aesthetic purposes. My dentist told me I could leave my baby tooth and impacted canine in place if I wanted to, but I'd have to get xrays taken frequently because as time goes on, impacted teeth can resorb the roots of the surrounding teeth (or something like that), causing all kinds of problems. I'd talk to your dentist about this option though, your situation may be different than mine.
Good luck with your decision!
Okay, thank you guys so much! I know that this is a website for adults, but I really needed to get a real-life second opinion from people who have waited to get what I'm having done. You know what? Who cares! I'm 14 and I guess it is normal for someone my age to have braces. Besides, I can always get the ceramis or clear braces. I won't need them for longer than two years so I'll be able to enjoy university with perfect teeth! Okay, thanks again! You guys really made this decision a no-brainer for me! 
<3
<3
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Bronwynciara
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 6:04 pm
Hey!
Even though you've made your decision, I thought I'd reply because I'm going through the exact same thing. I'm also 14 and have close to perfect, very healthy teeth, with a perfect bite. My right, upper canine is also completely impacted and needs to be erupted. Unfortunately, my tooth is slightly angled and my othodontist is worried that it is hitting the roots of my other teeth.
To answer your question, implants should really only be done as a last resort. Leaving an impacted tooth alone isn't a good idea unless it had bonded to your jaw, which really doesn't happen until your late twenties.
I don't know what type of braces you're getting, but I suggest getting the Damon System. It has substantially smaller brackets that are less visible. My brother got the last version of Damon brackets and most people don't even notice that he has braces. They are self-ligating and don't usually require elastics. They don't work for everyone, but because of my impacted tooth my dentist said they would work for me. I don't know if you've already ordered a certain type, but if possible you should consider Damons.
I hope everything goes alright with your braces and procedure, and maybe you could keep my posted about your progress? I'm getting my braces put on in a few moths because the waiting list is really long and I just want to know what to expect.
Thanks!
Even though you've made your decision, I thought I'd reply because I'm going through the exact same thing. I'm also 14 and have close to perfect, very healthy teeth, with a perfect bite. My right, upper canine is also completely impacted and needs to be erupted. Unfortunately, my tooth is slightly angled and my othodontist is worried that it is hitting the roots of my other teeth.
To answer your question, implants should really only be done as a last resort. Leaving an impacted tooth alone isn't a good idea unless it had bonded to your jaw, which really doesn't happen until your late twenties.
I don't know what type of braces you're getting, but I suggest getting the Damon System. It has substantially smaller brackets that are less visible. My brother got the last version of Damon brackets and most people don't even notice that he has braces. They are self-ligating and don't usually require elastics. They don't work for everyone, but because of my impacted tooth my dentist said they would work for me. I don't know if you've already ordered a certain type, but if possible you should consider Damons.
I hope everything goes alright with your braces and procedure, and maybe you could keep my posted about your progress? I'm getting my braces put on in a few moths because the waiting list is really long and I just want to know what to expect.
Thanks!
Hello. I had an impacted top left canine. My orthodontist recommended it to be extracted and a space left for an implant. I got the surgery done.
Now 4 years later i really regret not doing more to save the tooth. My teeth have shifted meaning I will need braces again to open up the space. To those in similar situations do ALL you can to save your natural teeth. It may be tedious for now but you will save money, time, and stress in the future!!! Get at least a second, third opinion even forth. I believe I was mislead by my orthodontist who wanted to shorten my treatment plan.
Now 4 years later i really regret not doing more to save the tooth. My teeth have shifted meaning I will need braces again to open up the space. To those in similar situations do ALL you can to save your natural teeth. It may be tedious for now but you will save money, time, and stress in the future!!! Get at least a second, third opinion even forth. I believe I was mislead by my orthodontist who wanted to shorten my treatment plan.