Expose and Bond
A patient undergoing orthodontic treatment will sometimes have a tooth that cannot push through the gums properly. If it does not erupt, the orthodontist will not able to progress to the next phase of the treatment. When this situation occurs, an expose and bond surgery is done to aid the tooth.
The Expose and Bond Procedure
- All baby teeth that have not fallen out in that area are extracted. In most cases, the removal of these teeth is a simple process, since they are close to falling out on their own.
- In the second stage, the tooth is exposed, and a small chain is bonded to it with cement. The free end of the chain is anchored to a braces bracket, which will be adjusted over time to aid in exposing the tooth. The gum will then be closed and sutured.
After an Expose and Bond Surgery
The dentist will schedule a post-operative checkup in the following 24 hours to ensure the gum tissue is healing properly. Unless stated otherwise, the patient does not have to worry about the sutures. Once the procedure has been completed, the adult tooth usually comes in quickly, and the orthodontic work can resume.