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Monday, June 1, 2009- ST. PAUL AND MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – In a perfect world of dealing with imperfect teeth, an orthodontist can place braces on the teeth and achieve proper alignment for patients over the course of treatment.

But sometimes, straightening teeth isn’t so simple; particularly in the case of impacted teeth, said Apple Valley Orthodontist Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth.

Eisenhuth occasionally treats patients with impacted teeth at her Apple Valley, Minnesota orthodontics practice and she thinks “it’s amazing what can be done to correct this problem,” she said.

Tooth impaction occurs when a tooth cannot erupt because it is blocked by another tooth, bone or soft tissue. It is important that impacted teeth be treated because without treatment, they can cause future dental problems, Eisenhuth said. As impacted teeth attempt to erupt, they can press against the teeth or bone that are blocking them and cause jaw pain.

Impacted canine teeth in particular can cause a host of problems.

“Canines can erupt into an unfavorable position, sometimes even causing an adult tooth to fall out,” Eisenhuth said.

Impacted teeth also can create unwanted spaces in the mouth, damage the roots of nearby teeth, lead the teeth to function improperly or adversely impact the sinus cavity.

There are several methods of addressing impacted teeth.

Expanders
If there isn’t enough room for teeth to erupt and this condition is caught early enough in development, an expander may be used to create some needed space for the tooth to improve its eruption path, Eisenhuth said. This process can take several months to create the needed space.

Open Forced Eruption
If the problem isn’t noticed until later in development, full braces combined with an uncovering surgery often are necessary, she said. The patient is referred to an oral surgeon, who will uncover the impacted tooth by creating a flap and leaving an area to place a button or bracket on it. A gold-link chain is attached from the button to the braces.

“When the patient returns to our office, this chain is attached each month, link by link, until eventually the tooth erupts,” Eisenhuth said. “It is amazing to watch the progress.”

When this method is used, it is easy to replace the button or bracket if it becomes debonded from the tooth, according to a Sept. 1, 2006 article in The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice. (http://www.thejcdp.com/issue028/bayram/bayram.pdf)

Closed Forced Eruption
Closed forced eruption is similar to open forced eruption, Eisenhuth said. However, the flap is closed once the button or braces are placed on the impacted tooth.

The closed eruption technique is seen by many oral surgeons as delivering the most aesthetically pleasing result, the JCDP article stated.

Extraction
Extraction is another method of addressing impacted teeth, Eisenhuth said. If this option is chosen, any space left in the area can be treated either by placing a dental implant or by closing the space via orthodontic methods.

Dental implants are not a treatment option for children because they cannot be placed until early adulthood, she said.

Surgical Repositioning
This option is helpful in cases where impacted teeth have proven otherwise difficult to treat, according to a 2002 article in the Journal of the American Dental Association. (http://jada.ada.org/cgi/content/full/133/1/61)

This method often is chosen when front teeth are impacted and saving the tooth is of utmost aesthetic importance. It involves carefully repositioning the tooth, which often is growing in the wrong direction and placing it in a semi-erupted position to provide the best chance for it to grow into place properly, Eisenuth said.

Learn More
If you would like to learn more about how impacted teeth are treated through orthodontics, if you want to learn more about the orthodontics practice of Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth or you would like to schedule a consultation with her, please call: (651) 406-8100 or visit her Web site: www.doctorjennifer.com.

About Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth
Dr. Eisenhuth attended the University of Minnesota Dental School and graduated in the top of her class. She earned the Minnesota Association of Orthodontic Achievement Award and several academic achievement awards. She entered her orthodontic residency at the University of Minnesota and earned a certificate in orthodontics and a Master of Science degree.
Dr. Eisenhuth is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.

She takes pride in caring for the orthodontic needs of residents in the Twin Cities- St. Paul and Minneapolis, and their surrounding regions, including Mendota Heights, Inver Grove Heights, Burnsville, Apple Valley and Eagan, Minnesota.

Her office is located at 3340 Sherman Court, Eagan, Minn., 55121.

© 2009 Sinai Marketing and Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth. Authorization to post is granted, with the stipulation that Sinai Marketing is credited as sole source. Linking to other sites from this article is strictly prohibited, with the exception of herein imbedded links.

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