What Are the Histologic Effects of Surgical and Orthodontic Treatment on the Gingiva of Palatal Impacted Canines?

PurposeTo histologically evaluate changes in the marginal gingiva of palatal impacted maxillary canines after surgical exposure and orthodontic treatment.Materials and MethodsA prospective case-and-control study was conducted of 10 patients presenting with bilateral palatal impaction of the maxillary canines. All patients underwent surgical exposure of the impacted canines with an open-window technique, which was followed by orthodontic treatment to achieve proper arch alignment. Once the treatment was finalized, 4 samples of marginal gingival tissue from each patient were taken for histologic study. The 4 samples consisted of 1 from each of the repositioned maxillary canines (case teeth) and 1 from each of their respective adjacent first premolars (control teeth).ResultsHistologic examination of the case teeth tissue samples showed microscopic changes mainly in the nonkeratinized epithelium and connective tissue, whereas changes in the keratinized epithelium remained minimal. The control teeth showed a greater inflammatory reaction in the nonkeratinized epithelium.ConclusionOrthodontic treatment of impacted maxillary canines used in conjunction with an open-window surgical technique results in predictable orthodontic eruption with few periodontal discrepancies of the marginal gingiva compared with their adjacent first premolars.