Orthodontic Management of Congenitally Missing Lateral Incisors and Traumatic Loss of the Right Central Incisor

Congenitally missing lateral incisors are challenging for an orthodontist. Generally the prevalence of congenitally missing teeth in people of Northwest European origin varies between 6 and 10 % [1]. The prevalence of congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisors is between 1 and 2 %. Altogether 20 % of all congenitally missing teeth are maxillary laterals [2]. If there is an additional loss of a central incisor because of trauma as described in our case, the orthodontic management is getting much more complicated and makes an additional prosthetical treatment necessary. This article introduces the case report of a young female patient with congenitally missing lateral incisors and a traumatic loss of a central incisor. At the end of treatment the canines replaced the lateral incisors and the central incisor was substituted by an implant. Active treatment lasted 4 years and 4 months. 5 years after completion of treatment the case remained stable with a bilateral Angle Class 1 between the upper first premolar and the lower canine and an Angle Class II between the molars. This case shows that optimal orthodontic planning as well as an interdisciplinary approach are necessary in order to achieve excellent results for our patients when managing complex cases.