When the female patient was 12 years 10 months old (Fig.2), the eruption of #15 is delayed.  The tooth is surgically uncovered with bonding an eruption chain 1 month post banding.  The alveolar bone coronal to the impacted tooth is removed.  Three months post banding, eruption appears to be slow with elastics clinically.  In fact radiological exam shows that the eruption is rather quick, considering 2 months of retraction (Fig.3).   The eruption chain is attached to the 1st molar band.

Another 3 months of retraction does not elicit obvious eruption (Fig.5), probably due to the fact that the crown of the 2nd molar is blocked by the distal crown of the 1st molar.  It is in turn because of direction of the retraction.

Seven months post 1st uncover surgery, the mesiobucally positioned eruption chain is removed and replaced by a bracket (normally placed) (Fig.8).  A niti wire (.014") has to go through the upper tube of the 1st molar band (*) because of discrepancy of the coronoapical position of these two molars.

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Xin Wei, DDS, PhD, MS 1st edition 11/28/2015, last revision 12/15/2019