Combined orthodontic and prosthetic therapy ; Special considerations

Agenesis, the absence of permanent teeth, is a common occurrence among dental patients. The total incidence of tooth agenesis is about 4.2% among patients that are seeking orthodontic treatment and with the exception of third molars, the maxillary lateral incisors are the most common congenitally missing teeth with about a 2% incidence. The maxillary lateral incisor is the second most common congenitally absent tooth. There are several treatment options for replacing the missing maxillary lateral incisor, including canine substitution, tooth-supported restoration, or single-tooth implant. Dental implants are an appropriate treatment option for replacing missing maxillary lateral incisor teeth in adolescents when their dental and skeletal development is complete. This case report presents the treatment of a patient with congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisor using dental implants. The paper discusses the aspects of pre-prosthetic orthodontic diagnosis and the treatment that needs to be considered with conservative and fixed prosthetic replacement.