Sometimes a canine tooth can become impacted in the jaw and will not erupt on its own. In this case, we will refer you to an oral surgeon or your dentist to have the tooth surgically exposed. During this exposure, the doctor will attach a gold button and chain to the impacted tooth.
At our office, we will use the gold chain to tie to the archwire and slowly bring the tooth down over several appointments. Once the tooth has erupted enough, we will remove the gold chain, replace it with a bracket, and engage the tooth into the archwire with the rest of the teeth.