The Importance of Maxillary Canine: A Review

Canines are the unique members of dental arches. They play a very important role in human and animal’s dentition. They support lip and facial muscles and in this way promote facial esthetics. In addition, the canines act as important guideposts in occlusion. Their deep overbite serves as a protective mechanism relieving the posterior teeth from excessive and potentially damaging horizontal forces during lateral excursion of the mandible. The ectopic eruption and impaction of the canine is a frequently encountered problem. The prevalence is estimated to be between 0.8 to 2.8% in the maxilla. In the maxilla, it is shown to be palatal to dental arch in about 85% of the cases. The etiology of the ectopic eruption and impaction is not well understood although, according to some speculations, it can have a multi- factorial feature as: arch length discrepancy, genetic and familial trend, delayed exfoliation of the primary canine, abnormal tooth bud’s position, trauma, etc. The diagnosis of unerupted canines involves: inspection, palpation and radiographic assessment. The ectopic canine would often require complex multidisciplinary treatment involving surgical, restorative, periodontal as well as orthodontic components. In this article, an overview of the incidence and sequelae as well as the surgical periodontal and orthodontic considerations in the management of impacted canines are presented. Key words: Maxillary canine- Diagnosis of Impaction- Treatment