A disturbance in the normal eruption pattern of one or both of the maxillary canines is found in 1% to 2% of the teenagers aged ten to thirteen years. Frequently, dentists refer these patients to orthodontists who, in turn, seek the assistance of an oral and maxillofacial surgeon to retrieve the impacted canine, either by exposure alone or by exposure and attachment of a bracket and ligature for orthodontic extrusion. A common request in this procedure is the extraction of the persistent upper deciduous canine and/or, in case of an Angle Class II molar relationship, extraction of the upper first premolar. It has been shown, however, that on average 15% of these exposed or ligated maxillary canines fail to erupt. Therefore, one should be reluctant to extract the deciduous canine or the permanent first premolar before it is clear that the impacted maxillary canine will indeed erupt after surgical exposure and/or placing of a bracket and ligature for orthodontic extrusion.
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