The term “super eruption teeth” refers to the condition known professionally as dental supraeruption or hypereruption. This phenomenon describes a situation where a tooth moves beyond its normal position in the jaw, extending too far out of the gum line into the opposing space. Supraeruption is an abnormal, passive movement of the tooth within its socket, distinct from the normal active eruption that occurs when a child’s tooth emerges.
Defining Dental Supraeruption
Supraeruption is the movement of a tooth above the normal occlusal plane, the imaginary flat surface where the upper and lower teeth meet during biting and chewing. When a tooth supraerupts, it appears disproportionately longer than surrounding teeth because it has extruded from its fully erupted state. This movement is often accompanied by an extrusion of the surrounding bone and gum tissue.
The condition is a form of dentoalveolar extrusion, meaning the tooth and its supporting bone are moving together. This passive movement alters the precise alignment needed for a healthy bite. The overextended tooth disrupts the balanced contacts that should occur when the jaw closes.
Primary Causes of Tooth Movement
The primary cause of supraeruption is the loss or extraction of the opposing tooth in the dental arch. Teeth maintain their position due to a balance of forces, including pressure from chewing and contact with neighboring and opposing teeth. When an opposing tooth is removed, the remaining tooth loses this necessary counter-force.
In response to this missing resistance, the unopposed tooth begins to drift or erupt further into the empty space. This is a natural attempt to re-establish contact with an opposing structure. The longer the gap remains unfilled by a prosthetic replacement, such as an implant or bridge, the more the opposing tooth will continue to move.
Other contributing factors include severe periodontal disease, which compromises bone support, or poorly fitting dental restorations that create uneven pressure. A prolonged malocclusion, or misalignment of the teeth, can also cause some teeth to over-erupt if they are not meeting their counterparts correctly.
Impact on Oral Function and Health
The primary consequence of a supraerupted tooth is the disruption of the occlusal relationship, leading to a malocclusion, or “bad bite.” This uneven contact causes the jaw to close improperly, resulting in difficulty chewing efficiently. The altered bite can also place excessive forces on the jaw joints, potentially contributing to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders.
The extended tooth may also increase wear on the remaining teeth due to premature contact during movement. Furthermore, the supraerupted tooth can move so far that it causes trauma to the gum tissue of the opposing jaw when the patient bites down. The misalignment creates new spaces that are difficult to clean, increasing the risk of plaque buildup, dental decay, and periodontal disease.
Corrective Measures and Treatment Options
Addressing supraeruption requires a customized approach based on the degree of tooth movement and the overall health of the bite. For minor cases, a procedure called enameloplasty or coronoplasty may be performed, involving the slight reshaping or grinding of the tooth’s biting surface. This reduction aims to re-establish proper contact with the opposing arch and create space for a future restoration if one is needed.
If the extrusion is more pronounced, restorative solutions are employed after the tooth is reduced in length. This may involve intentional root canal therapy if the reduction is deep enough to affect the tooth’s inner pulp, followed by the placement of a crown or onlay. The new restoration is then shaped to sit correctly within the dental plane.
Orthodontic intervention provides a conservative way to correct moderate to severe supraeruption by physically moving the tooth back into its socket, a process called intrusion. This can be achieved using traditional braces or clear aligners, often utilizing temporary anchorage devices (TADs). TADs are small, temporary implants placed in the bone to provide a stable point for applying force. In the most severe cases, extraction may be the only viable option, followed by replacement with a prosthetic like a dental implant or bridge.