Radiographic methods for locating impacted maxillary canines

Abstract

Maxillary canine impaction is a fairly common phenomenon in dental practice. Most studies indicate its palatal position. For a successful orthodontic and/or surgical therapy, it is necessary to correctly identify the impacted canine in the depth of the maxillary bone, using conventional and digital radiological investigations, each with their advantages and disadvantages. Dental practitioners must indicate the most "targeted" radiological investigation. This paper aims to review the various radiographic techniques available for determining the location of the impacted maxillary canine.

Determination of the position of impacted maxillary canine – A panoramic radiographic study

“…have been described in the literature, but none of those methods alone has 100% accuracy, when compared with computed tomography (CT) and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). 5,6 Proper treatment requires accurate diagnosis of the localization of impacted maxillary permanent canine tooth in relation to adjacent structures, assessment of root resorption and change in root morphology. 7 OPG provides an overview of the oral cavity, and may help in assessing mesio-distal impaction of teeth, however it has limitation in assessing labio-palatal position of impacted canines, whereas, CBCT can identify and locate the position of impacted canines accurately and can also assess damage to the roots of adjacent teeth and amount of bone surrounding each tooth.…”