Impacted / unerupted premolars & canines

Dental radiograph (xray) which shows an erupted and impacted lower left second premolar tooth. This is seen in cases in which the primary (milk) tooth, the second primary molar, is lost early. The early loss of this tooth allows the teeth behind to drift forward (physiological mesial drift) and ‘steal’ the space for this tooth. It is therefore essential to maintain the primary teeth as natural space maintainers. An othodontist may advise the removal of this unerupted tooth as part of the overall orthodontics treatment plan. These teeth often erupt lingually (towards the tongue) and can then be extracted.