Since the introduction of composites and bonding in orthodontics, the possibilities of aligning impacted teeth into the dental arch after a surgical intervention, have remarkably increased. There are 4 important treatment techniques. The closed-eruption technique includes bracket-bonding to and ligating of the exposed tooth, followed by repositioning of the mucosal flap. The disadvantage of the method is the uncontrollable orthodontic force on the non-visible tooth during orthodontic extrusion. The open-eruption technique aims at keeping the exposed tooth visible, followed by spontaneous eruption. However, the exposure appears often as a radical exposure with unfavourable gingival consequences. The open eruption technique with apical positioned mucosal flap is designed to expose teeth highly buccally impacted. The mucosal graft may cause a typical thick, stretched and not aesthetically acceptable gum after orthodontic treatment, even in case of using a split-thickness graft. The modified window technique is an open eruption technique with minimal exposure, resulting in immediate eruption. If orthodontic treatment is required, the tooth is no longer impacted. The success rates of the 4 techniques vary from 75 until 99%. Study of the literature reveals insufficient scientific evidence in favour of 1 treatment technique. However, independent of the surgical technique applied, general practitioners play a crucial role in diagnostics of eruption failures and timely referral to an orthodontist.