The positions of maxillary canines were radiographically investigated in children in whom clinical investigation had indicated a disturbance in eruption. Altogether 8 per cent of 505 longitudinally studied children, aged 8–12 years at the start of the project showed clinical signs of canine eruption disturbances and were radiographed according to defined clinical criteria. In children aged 10 years and younger, it was found that attempting to determine the path of eruption radiographically was generally of little value. This may be due to the large variation in tooth germ positions and because of changes in the path during eruption. A final unfavourable eruption was normally not predictable from early radiographic investigations. Additionally, spontaneous correction of potentially unfavourable positions in young children was often seen with increasing age. In children aged 11 years and older, clinical signs of delayed or ectopic eruption were confirmed by the radiographs. Altogether 1.7 per cent of the canines showed eruption disturbances, mostly with a palatal path of eruption. The radiographs showed that when the lateral incisor root was in close contact with an erupting canine, 35 per cent showed an absence of the lamina dura.