‘The punch technique’ for the soft tissue exposure of superficial,buccally impacted teeth

Abstract

The management of impacted teeth can be complex, time-consuming and expensive for the patient and healthcare system. These cases often require referral to a different specialty which increases the overall treatment time and number of appointments. This article introduces a simple, efficient technique using a cylindrical punch biopsy instrument to expose superficial, buccally impacted upper permanent canines and incisor teeth in carefully selected cases. This patient- and operator-friendly technique avoids the need for a referral to a different specialty, gives the orthodontist autonomy of the position of the bond, allows immediate traction, thereby reducing the number of appointments and overall treatment time for the patient.

Keywords

minor oral surgery-orthodontic interface interdisciplinary treatment treatment mechanics soft tissue exposure ectopic canines

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