Traction--a surgical/orthodontic procedure.

Maxillary crowding may cause failure of eruption of the canine. The teeth so displaced are directed buccally or palatally. In both cases, surgical intervention is indicated after space has been made in the arch. Palatally displaced canines are treated by surgical excision of palatal mucosa to promote eruption. Wide excision is indicated to prevent the healing process from covering the exposed tooth crown. Because of the anatomy of the buccal mucosa, however, surgical excision of the crowns of buccally displaced canine frequently results in periodontal problems. An alternative technique is therefore presented; this involves the surgical exposure of the crowns of buccally displaced teeth to allow the attachment of a wire traction hook. The crown is then recovered. The traction hook provides a point of attachment, so that orthodontic forces may be applied to the unerupted tooth to guide its eruption. The preservation of the mucosal flap ensures a normal epithelial attachment develops on the buccal surface of the tooth, and the normal gingival anatomy of the buccal mucosa is maintained. The procedure may also be used in cases where upper incisors have been prevented from erupting because of the presence of supernumerary teeth. Even after surgical removal of the supernumerary teeth, the permanent incisors often fail to erupt. In such cases, the placement of traction hooks will enable the orthodontist to bring the unerupted teeth into their correct positions in the arch.