Impacted Canines - tooth exposure / surgery

[metalgear84]

Hey Guys!

Has anyone had canines exposed to have goldchain attached to it?

I saw this video on you tube and it looks like a major deal (search impacted canines on youtube)

I was wondering how recovery for this type of procedure is like. How long does it take to heal completely?

And after they remove baby canine and expose the one behind, do they put a fake tooth to cover the hole? Is that an option??

Thanks and good look to all of those going through similar treatment

[browneyedgirl16683]

Hello!

I haven't been on this site in months but just decided to browse today and saw your post. I had that exact same procedure done almost a year ago (June 20, 2007). I still had both of my baby canines and the adult canines were up in my gums. So my oral surgeon pulled the baby ones, exposed the adults and attached gold chain to them. At the same time I had the SARPE surgery as well as two wisdom teeth pulled. After a couple of months my ortho started pulling the canines down by attaching buttons to the teeth and using either power thread or steel ties to attach to the brackets on the teeth next to them.
Well just about 4 weeks ago I had to go back in and get those teeth re-exposed because they hadn't moved in at least 3 months One of them is about half way down and one is barely even peeking through....after 10 months! I am 24 so obviously that plays a part in how fast they move. There are obvious gaps there, it looks like I am missing teeth so I haven't really smiled in the last 10 months and that has been frustrating. The surgery was easy for me as with the recovery. The hardest part is living with the gaps for so long....

Good luck!

[metalgear84]

Geez! Crazy....So you've had two holes in your mouth ever since? They can't put something to cover it up, or a fake tooth?

We have similar profiles.... I'm 23 and am having the exposure surgery May 1st, to then start pulling the upper canines. I'm so scared! I'm afraid I'm gonna be all swelled up and with my mouth all hurting. I'm gonna take 2 days off work just to be safe.

If your tooth doesnt come down, whats the next option? Implant?

That's what my doc. told me......I'm considering just going ahead and moving on to implants. I guess I'll give it a try until end of the year.

Do you have pics posted any where? You can check some of mine on bracesboy84.blogspot.com

[browneyedgirl16683]

I do have a blog although I have not updated it since September!!

Here is the link: http://hollysbraceface.blogspot.com/.

I will have to post some updated pics in a few days but there are pics just after my sugery on there. Honestly the surgery for me was a breeze! They knocked me out, did their thing and I woke up hours later. I probably looked terrible but I only felt tired and that was it. My husband made sure that I took all of my painkillers as scheduled though. I had a little swelling and very little bruising (you can see pics of those too) but I'm pretty sure that was all from the SARPE surgery and not so much from the teeth exposure. I also took lots of vitamins to help with the swelling and healing....I think they totally helped!! If you are interested in what I took then I can post it in the next couple of days. I think I was completely healed up in about a month or so but stopped taking pain meds after a week. I took a week off of work but I also had a lot done in one sitting so I think I needed that long.

When they re-exposed them about a month ago I was awake for that, they just gave me local anesthesia. And I wouldn't suggest that because he did do some pounding that was a little disturbing. But even the healing from that was only about a week with very little pain.

I guess the next option would be implants if they don't come down on their own but I would still rather have my own teeth in there than fake ones so I am going to just try to wait it out. Honestly, people tell me that they don't really notice that I have teeth missing but you can tell when I smile so I usually cover my mouth when I am laughing or smile with my lips closed. It kinda sucks and it's a little frustrating at times but it's not the worst thing in the world. Just give it a shot and hope for the best!

[metalgear84]

Ay, ay, ay! I'm really frustrated.........! And i'm the kinda person that's always smiling---not anymore. Can you imagine with the hole?

I saw your blog---awesome progress! Your gap was way bigger than mine and you can barely notice it now, from the pix there. I'm really impressed with all the progress and how you've handled it. tSo what's left for you, just pulling those teeth down?

I dont understand one thing though, you had a perfect smile....and how did that gap come about?

In a way I was lucky that my only problem is with the canines, and some minor spaces..... What bothers me though is that I work in a bank with people coming in and out..... i feel a bit weird when im wearing a suit in braces....the two totally dont go together... But I guess with time I'll get used to it. The whole braces experience has really affected me......

IT's TOUGH!

Good luck with getting those babies down!

[Luella]

Okay I work for an oral surgeon's office, and we do this kind of surgery a lot. It varies how long it takes the teeth to come down, depending on how firmly they're attached to the bone up there. Your dentist can make you a flipper to wear in the meantime, or they can make pontics (fake teeth) to attach to the arch wire so it looks like you have teeth there, depending on your exact situation. Talk to them- its totally normal to be concerned about the interim and how you'll look! And worst case scenario- the teeth are ankylosed (grown attached completely) to the bone, they have to be extracted, and you can get some implants done. Good luck and keep us posted!

[browneyedgirl16683]

Haha, that gap must have really freaked you out huh?? The gap in between my two front teeth was from the SARPE surgery where they separated my palate from my skull and then used a metal appliance to slowly widen my palate, which caused the gap in between my two front teeth so I had that along with my gaps from the missing baby canines! I looked like freak, there is no doubt about that!
My teeth were actually a lot worse to begin with back when I was in high school. I had braces for about a year then but had to have them taken off early because my mom couldn't afford them. Long story short, I decided that I still wasn't happy with my smile and felt like it was hanging over my head so I went back to my same ortho 7 years later and he advised me that if I wanted those baby canines pulled and the adult ones exposed that I would need to do something to make room for them. So they decided on the SARPE (Surgically assisted rapid palate expansion). My problem was that I had a very narrow arch which is why I looked like my two front teeth stuck out plus they looked bigger because of the baby canines.

So although my teeth weren't that bad, I was still very self conscience about them and decided to finish what I started.

I wouldn't worry about where you work or how you are going to look. I work at a CPA firm and have to dress up. I see clients all of the time. The only thing is that with the braces and especially when I had the gap in my front teeth, people always thought I was a lot younger.