Palatally Displaced Canines

An upper canine that is palatally displaced, or ectopic, is a tooth that does not erupt normally during growth and development. It usually sits behind, or palatal, to the front teeth, and left alone, it can cause very significant problems. It occurs in 1-2% of the population and is approximately 3-5% of our adolescent orthodontic population. We’ve treated over a hundred of these cases, and each case we treat on an individual basis. Palatally displaced canines often run in families and are commonly associated with other minor dental anomalies such as missing teeth, small teeth, or transposed teeth.

See below for patient examples: