Back to Top

Expose and Bond

In some cases, an orthodontics patient will still have an adult tooth that is having some trouble erupting (or pushing through the gums). If it still hasn’t erupted and the orthodontist cannot progress to the next stage without it, an oral surgery called expose and bond may have to be performed to help the tooth along.

The Process

Performed under I.V. sedation, or sleep dentistry, our oral surgeon and anesthesiologist first goes through the process of administering sedation before starting any treatment. Once the patient is completely relaxed and comfortable, the surgeon begins by extracting any baby teeth that are in the way of the adult teeth. If they baby tooth hasn’t fallen out yet, a simple extraction is performed, since it is probably about ready to fall out anyways.

Next, a laser is used to cleanly expose the tooth and a small chain is attached to the adult tooth. Attachment to the tooth is used by curing (hardening) a bond between the tooth and chain. The other end of the chain is then attached to a corresponding braces bracket, which the orthodontist will adjust over time to help expose the tooth. Lastly, the surgeon will suture (close) the gums which will heal over time.

Post Treatment

The patient will then wake up with all the treatment already done. A post operation check may be scheduled for the next day to make sure that the gums are healing well. The patient shouldn’t need to worry about the sutures unless special instructions for them are given. Once done, the adult tooth, with the help of the braces, should be out in no time!


 For more information, check out our educational video below.