My molars came in overlapping! Ectopic eruption of a premolar, orthodontic treatment, Daechi-dong orthodontic clinic

Hello. I am Jungwon Yoon, the chief director of Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong.

Today’s topic is ectopic eruption of permanent teeth. Ectopic eruption...?? It sounds quite difficult, doesn’t it!

What is ectopic eruption?

Ectopic eruption, or ectopic eruption in English, refers to cases in which a tooth does not emerge along the normal path and position where it should come in, but instead erupts in an abnormal position. Simply put, it means a permanent tooth comes up in the wrong place.

The most easily recognizable ectopically erupted tooth is a Dracula tooth(?)! Haha.

It is called a high canine, and it refers to a canine that erupts above the gum line instead of in its proper position because there is not enough space for it to come in. In the upper jaw, if we look at the order in which teeth erupt, the first molars come in first, and only after the front teeth and premolars have erupted do the canines come in.

If the front teeth or premolars take up the canine space before the canine is ready to erupt, the canine has no choice but to come out somewhere else, and usually it erupts from the upper gum like Dracula.

Ectopic eruption usually occurs in canines or first molars, but premolars can also erupt from the inside of the tooth when there is insufficient space.

2019.12

In this patient, the primary molar on the lower right side was still present, and the second premolar had erupted on the inside of it. The second premolars in the other three areas had no permanent tooth buds, so they had been used as primary molars. On the lower left, only the roots remained; on the upper right, the primary molar had fallen out and the space was empty; fortunately, the upper left primary molar was still present. In the lower arch, there was a lot of remaining space where the lower right primary molar and the empty molar space on the left were, and comparatively the upper arch had insufficient molar space, so the upper and lower front teeth were not occluding properly either.

When teeth are overlapping like the lower right teeth in this case, not only is the bite misaligned, but proper oral hygiene between those areas cannot be maintained, which increases the likelihood of cavities and can also worsen gum health.

Because extracting the tooth positioned on the inside and closing all the remaining spaces would have made the lips look too retruded from the patient’s facial profile, we decided to extract the lower right primary molar, reposition the ectopically erupted premolar on the inside, and place implants in the remaining empty spaces.

2020.9

This shows buttons attached to the lower right premolar and elastic bands being used to pull it into the correct position.

2021.5

This is the result after completing orthodontic treatment. The lower right premolar is now well positioned in its proper place, and implants were placed in the two other areas where premolars were missing.

Ectopically erupted teeth are often related to insufficient space for permanent teeth to erupt or an abnormal position of the permanent tooth bud. As in this case, they can occur when primary teeth do not fall out on time, so during the mixed dentition period, when primary teeth are being replaced by permanent teeth, it is very important to visit the dentist regularly to check whether the primary teeth have fallen out on time, whether the permanent teeth are erupting properly, and whether there is enough space for permanent tooth eruption.

At Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, the orthodontic treatment fee includes all costs such as the detailed diagnostic fee and monthly fees (except for the retainer fee), so you do not need to worry about additional expenses. We also offer an installment payment system to reduce the burden of having to pay a large amount at once. Because we also have a general dentistry department, there is the advantage that all treatments needed for orthodontics, such as extractions and cavity treatment, can be done in one place.

Director Jungwon Yoon, who is in charge of the orthodontic department, has specialized in orthodontics alone for 16 years of clinical experience and has extensive experience with many high-difficulty cases. Therefore, she can effectively treat a wide range of orthodontic cases, including malocclusion, protrusive mouth, and underbite.

If you visit Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic specialty clinic in Daechi-dong, you can get an accurate understanding of your current condition through a simple oral examination at no additional cost, and during orthodontic consultations you can also hear explanations about various orthodontic appliances, so please feel free to contact us for a consultation.

At Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, we are equipped with all the latest devices needed for orthodontic treatment, including the iTero Lumina 3D intraoral scanner, growth plate testing, and treatment before-and-after simulations using the Morpheus facial scanner, which allows us to carry out orthodontic treatment more precisely and systematically.

Many people considering orthodontic treatment due to protrusive mouth, crowded teeth, malocclusion, underbite, and similar concerns may already have gathered a lot of information through searching online. Even so, comparing the different appliances in person and hearing detailed explanations can be a big help when making a decision.

During the consultation, you can compare devices such as Clarity, Clippy-C, and Invisalign with your own eyes and hear detailed explanations of their pros and cons, so we encourage you to call or visit for a consultation without hesitation.

Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic is not only convenient for parking, but is also close to Samseong Station, Hakyeoul Station, Daechi Station, and Hanti Station, making it very convenient for patients coming from Samseong-dong, Daechi-dong, Gaepo-dong, Irwon-dong, Dogok-dong, Yeoksam-dong, and Jamsil.

Building next to BMW at the Woosung Apartments intersection in Daechi-dong

(across from Starbucks / Samsung Store)

Yonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong

has convenient parking and it is free

Consultation & inquiries: 02-501-2879