What ankylosis means
A healthy tooth hangs in its socket on a thin elastic ligament, which lets it move slightly and lets braces shift it. In ankylosis that ligament space is lost in one spot and the root fuses to the bone. The tooth is locked in place. It often sounds solid when tapped, and an X-ray may show no ligament gap.
The cause is not always clear. It can follow an injury, infection or a deep filling, and in some people it happens without an obvious reason. It is more often found in milk teeth than in adult teeth.
Sinking milk molars in children
The commonest form is a child's milk molar that looks as if it is sinking. The jaw keeps growing and neighbouring teeth erupt, but the fused tooth stays where it is, so it ends up below the bite line. Dentists call it infraocclusion, and neighbours may tilt toward the gap.
Many resolve on their own, and the tooth may loosen and fall out in time. Our guide on milk teeth that stay too long explains what happens when a baby tooth does not come out. The dentist watches it with X-rays, and the adult tooth underneath may be slow to come, or may come off course.
Why braces cannot move it, and how it is managed
Braces work by pressing on the ligament and bone around a tooth so they remodel. A fused tooth has no ligament to respond, so it does not move, and the force instead pulls the neighbouring teeth. That is why orthodontic planning looks for ankylosis before treatment starts.
Management depends on the age, the tooth and how far it has sunk. A mild case can simply be watched. A child's milk molar that is deeply submerged, tilting its neighbours or blocking the adult tooth is extracted, as the tooth extraction procedure guide describes. In an adult, a fused tooth may be built up with a filling or crown if it is below the bite and otherwise healthy, or extracted if it causes problems.
If an adult tooth is fused after a knock, the dentist watches it, because the root can slowly be replaced by bone. If the tooth is a buried one, our guide on impacted teeth is relevant, and wisdom tooth problems are covered on the wisdom tooth pain page.
| Situation | Usual approach |
|---|---|
| Child's milk molar, mild | Watch with regular X-rays. |
| Child's milk molar, deeply sunk or blocking the adult tooth | Extraction, then monitor the adult tooth. |
| Adult tooth below the bite but healthy | Build up with a filling or crown. |
| Adult tooth causing problems or needed for braces | Extraction or a plan that works around it. |
General approaches to an ankylosed tooth. A dentist decides after examination and X-rays.
Common questions
How is an ankylosed tooth diagnosed?
A dentist looks at whether the tooth sits lower than its neighbours, taps it, and checks an X-ray. A fused tooth sounds solid and often shows no ligament space around the root. Further scans are used in some cases.
Is an ankylosed tooth painful?
Usually not. Ankylosis itself seldom hurts, and it is often found on a routine check. Pain may come from decay or infection in a sunken tooth that is hard to clean, and that should be looked at.
Will my child's ankylosed milk tooth fall out on its own?
Often it does eventually, though later than usual. The dentist watches it with X-rays and removes it if it is sinking deeply, tilting neighbours or blocking the adult tooth coming through.
Can an ankylosed tooth be treated with braces?
No. It has no ligament to respond to the force, so it does not move. Your orthodontist plans around it, which can mean removing it or moving the other teeth to it.
About this page
This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a quotation. Prices are prevailing Lucknow market ranges. Your own treatment and cost are determined after an examination. For questions about your own case, call +91 83036 12717.