If all goes normally, life gives you two sets of teeth, twenty when you are a child and 32 as an adult. You don’t give much thought to this process — your baby teeth fall out in time for your adult teeth to come in. While it is common for wisdom teeth to become impacted and for them to need dental work, your other teeth usually appear right on time, according to schedule, without complications.
This is not the kind of “canine” we’re talking about.
But are you one of those rare folks whose canines, also known as cuspids or “eye teeth,” have failed to emerge? Do you have one hiding in your jaw or is the baby tooth still sitting there, years after childhood? Don’t despair, there is a solution! Just because you’ve never seen your adult canine teeth, that doesn’t mean they’re not there. When your eye teeth are hiding up in your gums, they are called impacted canines, (which also sounds like your dog is constipated, but that’s a job for a different medical profession). The known causes of the human dental problem are:
- Overcrowding – a small jaw and/or extra teeth have caused the space where your canines are supposed to come in to be too crowded. The result is canine impaction.
- Abnormal growths – tissue growth has developed in your jaw that prevents your canines from reaching the surface of your gums.
While many people live without their wisdom teeth and never notice the difference, living without your canines will “impact” your life and your smile. First, the eye teeth are an essential part of your smile. When they are not there, it is noticeable. And since they do much of the chomping and food tearing while you eat, you’ll be missing out on an important part of the team if they fail to come in. Lastly, if your canines have not emerged, it is likely that there are gaps or holes in your smile, which can cause your other teeth to shift and move out of position.
How do you get your canines to come out and start doing their job? A thorough dental exam is needed. Your options will be discussed for coaxing those important teeth down to where they belong — as working members of your complete smile. Make an appointment soon with the Placerville Dental Group and we will discuss a plan to get those puppies, your canine teeth, out as an essential part of your healthy smile.
