Nervous about canines

[immediatevisit]

Hi so our 11 year old son had his phase one braces removed FINALLY in December after almost two years. He had a mid-treatment panoramic at 10 years old and nothing was mentioned about any issues. Our orthodontist knew that we wanted to avoid extractions and surgeries like the plague. He had a palate expander before the braces were applied.

We were only waiting on one tooth when she took the braces off. It's been around 6 months and his upper canine is only poking through a little bit. My husband asked the orthodontist if there was room for it and she said yes.

He has his first follow up appointment after the braces next week and I'm now horribly nervous. I thought it was supposed to be a simple retainer follow up but now I worry we are going to find out bad news about his canine. I thought everything was fine and I'm worried she's going to say that this tooth is stuck after assuring us there was room for it. His other canine came in fine.

I have only found a few resources saying that a permanent canine can take up to a year to come in all the way. I don't think it's impacted since he's had the X-rays and she never said anything and it's clearly poking through a little bit.

We were waiting so long to get these braces off thinking she had made the room. Now I worry that we have run out of time to do more conservative things instead of surgery.

I have medical anxiety which is why my husband takes our son to his appointments. I don't want to be a distraction. But now I don't know what to do. Our son was looking forward to a break before having to do anything more to his teeth. He missed out on enjoying his favorite Halloween candy for the third time last year when he was supposed to have them off before then. He's been losing a lot of lower teeth all at once recently too so he's not eating a lot of the foods he was able to eat again after braces. I'm worried that his little vacation from worrying about his teeth is already over before his first retainer follow up.

I was just wondering if anyone could reassure me at all. Our orthodontist has 5 star reviews and is well regarded in our area. We have no reason not to trust her but everything online says this canine should be in by now. He's had an awful lot of work done to make room for that tooth so it would be quite upsetting if that's the problem. Thank you.

 

[Kiper the lab guy]

First of all, it’s completely understandable that you’re feeling anxious about your son’s dental situation. Dental and orthodontic treatments can be stressful, especially when it involves a child and concerns about potential complications.

Normal Variation: While most permanent canines erupt between the ages of 11 and 13, there’s a wide range of normal variation. Some children’s teeth come in earlier, and others take longer. The fact that your son’s canine is already poking through is a good sign—it means the tooth is on its way!

Up to a Year: You’re correct that it can take up to a year for a canine to fully erupt after it first becomes visible. This process can be slower if the tooth is moving through dense bone or if there’s limited space.

Your orthodontist assured you that there’s enough room for the canine, which is a positive sign. The palate expander and phase one braces were likely used to create the necessary space for the tooth to come in properly.
If the tooth is already poking through, it’s unlikely to be impacted (stuck in the bone). Impacted teeth typically don’t show any signs of eruption and would have been flagged on the panoramic X-ray.

The upcoming appointment is likely a routine check to monitor the progress of the canine and ensure the retainer is functioning properly. It’s a good opportunity to ask questions and address any concerns. If the orthodontist is satisfied with the progress, they may simply advise continued monitoring. If there are any concerns, they’ll discuss the next steps with you.