Generally, expose and bond procedures (sometimes referred to as “surgical tooth uncovering” and “chain-and-bracket” procedures) are performed as a collaboration between orthodontists and your operating dentist. First, your braces will be placed by the orthodontist.

Next, the dentist will perform a small surgery. Some gum tissue will be incised and any bone tissue impeding the mobility of the impacted tooth will be removed.

After several weeks, the gum tissue should be healed enough for you to return to the orthodontist, at which point a bracket will be cemented to the exposed tooth and a chain will be attached to the bracket. Some tension will be applied to the tooth using the chain-and-bracket technique. This chain will gradually pull the impacted tooth into its correct position until it is aligned with the neighboring teeth.

Keep in mind, moving teeth with expose and bond treatments can take up to a year to complete, so it’s important to be patient and trust the process!