Impacted Canines — ORE Part 1 MCQ
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Correct answer: A — Maxillary canine
**A. Maxillary canine** is correct. Permanent canines are the second most frequently impacted teeth overall, exceeded only by third molars; therefore, when third molars are excluded, the maxillary canine is the commonest impacted tooth. This is a core orthodontic epidemiological association and helps explain the importance of assessing canine eruption clinically and radiographically where eruption appears delayed or asymmetrical. The premolars in options B–D can be impacted, particularly where eruption is disturbed or space is limited, but they occur less frequently than maxillary canines. A maxillary central incisor may fail to erupt because of trauma to its predecessor, a supernumerary tooth, dilaceration or pathology, but it is not the commonest non-third-molar impaction. The key distinction is tooth frequency, not which teeth may occasionally be impacted.
Reference: Agarwal S, et al. Permanent Canine Impaction: A Systematic Review of Incidence, Distribution, and Etiology. 2026. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42075553/