One of the most common problems oral surgeons treat is the impaction of wisdom teeth. Wisdom teeth often appear in the late teens or early twenties and often lack proper space to erupt fully or at all, thus causing impaction. This can cause numerous problems including the crowding of adjacent teeth or inflammation under the gums. Canine teeth, incisor teeth and premolar teeth can also become impacted.
Because canine teeth are crucial to your bite and overall appearance of your mouth, orthodontists often work with oral surgeons in order to aid eruption of the impacted teeth by surgically exposing them.
The exposure of an impacted tooth involves a surgical procedure where gum tissue and bone that is covering the tooth is removed. Once the tooth is exposed, a bracket is sometimes placed onto the tooth so your orthodontist can begin the process of bringing the tooth into proper alignment.