Impacted / unerupted premolars & canines

A dental radiograph (xray) which shows an erupted and impacted lower left second premolar tooth. This is often 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 palatally (towards the roof of mouth) and can then be extracted. Loss of space occurs at a quicker rate in the upper than in the lower.