Ask Dr. Markova: What Can Be Done About Our Son’s Fangs?

By Buzz McClain

When our son started getting his “permanent” teeth we noticed two of them on the upper level were not coming in at what we imagined was “the right place.” In fact, they were growing through his top gum.

They looked a little alarming, but naturally, I convinced my wife to be patient and that he would “grow out of it” (such a dad thing to say, isn’t it?) and everything would be fine.

Well, that’s not what happened. And as he got older, they started looking a lot like vampire fangs.

During this time, my son became self-conscious of his smile; you can see in photos from that time he never shows his teeth, which, I have to say, breaks my heart to think I waited so long to have him examined and to get a recommendation on how to correct it.

But who knew what was going on? So we asked Dr. Crissy Markova, owner of VCO Orthodontics, for an explanation.

“There’s not a technical name for the ‘fang syndrome,'” Dr. Markova said. “The canine teeth grow out like that because there’s not enough space in the mouth to accommodate them. It’s a crowding issue.”

Dr. Crissy Markova is the community-minded orthodontist at VCO Orthodontics, Arlington’s newest orthodontist office and no doubt the most fun (where else are there monkeys hanging with the patients?).

People with what we’ll call the ‘fang syndrome’ can be young or old, but the distinctive thing is they have not enough space for the right amount of teeth. “The procedure,” Dr. Markova said, “is to create some space with braces and then move the canines into the correction position.”

Dr. Markova’s selection of braces–including clear braces, mini braces and hidden or lingual braces–gives younger patients an esthetic choice that will please them throughout the treatment period. For older patients who have tired of living with their fangs, Dr. Markova offers an Invisalign treatment area exclusively for adults.

VCO Orthodontics is at 1600 Wilson Blvd., suite 810, in Arlington. See the website or call 703-774-3070 for a complimentary consultation.