Impactions in Orthodontics

The management of the severely impacted tooth is often a complex undertaking and requires the joint expertise of a number of clinicians. It is important that these clinicians communicate with each other to provide the patient with an optimal treatment plan based on scientific rational. The management of impacted canines is important in terms of esthetics and function. Clinicians must formulate treatment plans that are in the best interest of the patient and they must be knowledgeable about the variety of treatment options. The simplest interceptive procedure that can be used to prevent impaction of permanent canines is the timely extraction of the primary canines. This procedure usually allows the permanent canines to become upright and erupt properly into the dental arch, provided sufficient space is available to accommodate them. The most commonly impacted teeth are the mandibular and maxillary third molars and the maxillary canines. As canine is the tooth with highest incidence of impaction, it's important to review the prevalence and Etiology of canine impactions, method of radiographic assessment and treatment intervention based on labiolingual position of impacted canine.