Surgical and orthodontic management of impacted teeth.

This article has accomplished four objectives. First of all, the most commonly impacted teeth have been identified. Aside from the third molars, these teeth include the maxillary canines, maxillary central incisors, mandibular second premolars, and mandibular second molars. Second, the cause of impaction has been discussed. In most situations, these unerupted teeth have been diverted or are angulated aberrantly during development. Once the root apex has closed, they lose their potential to erupt. Third, the various surgical procedures to uncover these impacted teeth have been described. Three different techniques (excision, apically positioned flap, and closed eruption technique) may be used to uncover the impacted tooth. The specific criteria used to select the proper surgical technique were stated. Last, the orthodontic mechanics and integration of tooth movement and surgical procedures were delineated and illustrated for each of the various types of impactions and uncovering techniques.