Alignment of a buccally displaced maxillary canine in the late mixed dentition with a modified utility arch: a patient report.

Maxillary canines and first molars are the most common ectopic teeth in young people. Ectopic buccal eruption of maxillary canines is strongly associated with lack of space or crowding in the dental arch. This report demonstrates the management of a buccally erupted maxillary canine in an 11-year, 8-month-old boy without sufficient space. The patient had a mostly dental Class II occlusion and was in the late mixed dentition, and the root development of his canines was consistent with his dental age. To correct the distal occlusion and gain space in the maxillary arch for the eruption of both canines, the patient received cervical headgear. To guide the maxillary left canine into occlusion, it was surgically exposed and a modified utility arch inserted. The result of this approach proves that a custom-designed utility arch allows the distal movement of a buccally displaced canine, while at the same time increasing the maxillary arch length. © 2010 Quintessence Publishing Co, Inc.