Concomitant dilaceration, transposition, and intraosseous migration: report of a patient treated with maxillary canine-central incisor substitution

Abstract

This case report describes the multidisciplinary treatment of a male with a dilacerated maxillary left central incisor and transposition of the ipsilateral maxillary canine and lateral incisor. The initial treatment plan involved removal of the dilacerated incisor with mechanical eruption and alignment of the ectopic left canine, aiming to substitute the lateral incisor for the missing central incisor. However, the plan was modified to include eruption of the canine in the central incisor region in response to progressive ectopic development and mesial transmigration of the maxillary left canine. Although substitution of a maxillary canine for a central incisor is comparatively rare, the canines offer a relatively favorable template to simulate a central incisor. For this growing patient with a combination of dental trauma and developmental anomalies, maxillary canine-central incisor replacement was a viable option, offering excellent esthetic results without recourse to prosthetic replacement.