Open or closed surgical methods are two common techniques that are used to exposure impacted canines. A modified open exposure called GOPEX (glass ionomer open exposure) has been used in Gothenburg, Sweden for almost 50 years. In this method, glass-ionomer cement coverage is used as a dressing agent which penetrates the gingival surface and thus lets the biological dental emergence system believe that the tooth has emerged and hence the canine continues to erupt in the palate. With this technique the canine is allowed to spontaneously erupt for about 6 months before orthodontic traction is applied. In this presentation, data from an ongoing RCT study comparing GOPEX to closed exposure with respect to postoperative pain and pain during the orthodontic treatment will be shown. In addition, clinical cases from the study will be presented.
Learning Objectives:
After this lecture, attendees will be able to:
Describe the exposure method: GOPEX.
Describe the advantages and limitations with GOPEX.
Describe differences in postoperative pain and pain during the orthodontic treatment of palatally impacted canines that were exposed with either GOPEX or closed exposure.
