Open or closed exposure for palatally impacted maxillary canines? A review

Abstract

Palatally impacted canines (PICs) can be surgically exposed using one of the two exposure methods: open or closed. There is generally lack of consensus with regards to the preferred exposure method, hence the choice of operative technique remains open to discussion. The two techniques are compared and the choice of surgical technique is assessed in terms of patient factors, orthodontic/surgical and radiographic factors. Taking all possible determinant factors into account, a flowchart for the selection of the surgical exposure technique is presented. CPD/Clinical Relevance: As there are no clinical guidelines currently in the literature for the selection of surgical exposure method of PICs, carrying out this review article might help orthodontists and oral surgeons (especially juniors) in the selection process by following the proposed flowchart presented in this article, based on the available evidence in the literature.