Restoration of congenitally missing lateral incisors: a case report

Parents and dentists are forced to make a decision early in a young patient's life when it is learned that the lateral incisors are missing. For many years the treatment has been to either move the cuspids into the lateral incisor sites or retain the teeth in their natural environment and restore the defect with a bonded or fixed bridge. With the advent of new designs in dental implants and their abutments, it is possible to consider replacing missing single teeth with implant-borne prostheses. Often-times, because of the limited residual bone and proximity of adjacent roots, placing conventional cylinder or screw-type implants is difficult. This article demonstrates the advantages of using a tapered-step implant, immediate one-stage surgery, and temporization in replacing congenitally missing laterals.