Canine exposure is a surgical procedure to expose an impacted upper jaw canine.  An impacted tooth is one that has not erupted in the mouth, but instead becomes stuck in the surrounding bone or tissue.  Any tooth may become impacted, but generally, the wisdom teeth and upper canine teeth are the most likely candidates.  Canine teeth are critical for function. The mouth will also appear aesthetically odd without the canines. The maxillary (upper jaw) canines are the cornerstones of the mouth.  They are usually the longest teeth in the mousth and are therefore quite strong. 

The procedure involves cutting the gums and reflecting the tissue.  Bone almost always needs to be removed since many of the canine impactions are located on the roof of the mouth, called the hard palate.  Once the impacted tooth is located, isolated, and bleeding is controlled in the immediate area we will attach an orthodontic bracket.  The Orthodontist will eventually begin to guide the tooth into its correct position slowly over a period of time to protect the root of the canine.

Impacted teeth are never obvious to the naked eye.  All impactions are diagnosed through gthe use of X-Rays. Many times, there is an impacted canine tooth where the baby tooth remains in the mouth.