[The functional evaluation of orthodontically aligned impacted canines].

The purpose of this study was to examine functional occlusion of impacted maxillary canines which had been moved orthodontically into the line of occlusion. Examinations were performed on both patients and on an articulator, which was adapted to correspond to the axiographical findings. Functional contacts on the working side during lateral movement of the mandible were found in all orthodontically aligned impacted canines. Half the aligned teeth were involved in canine guidance, half in group function. Balancing side interferences were detected in 22% of the cases. The result of this study revealed a nearly identical function in the aligned canines when compared with the spontaneously erupted canines on the other side of the same maxilla. This became apparent during lateral excursion of the mandible. The angle of mesiodistal inclination of the tooth central axis with an occlusal plane was 84 degrees for aligned and 82 degrees on average for the spontaneously erupted canines.