Conservative management of lower second premolar impaction

Lower second premolars account for approximately 24 per cent of impactions, excluding third molars, even though most reports in the literature relating to impacted teeth address the maxillary canine, with relatively few reports on the lower second premolar. Conservative management involves surgical exposure of the crown, however, subsequent premolar eruption is unpredictable. A case is described in which removal of a deciduous second molar was followed by eruption of an unfavourably inclined premolar located deep within the alveolus. Sufficient time must be allowed for eruption and in the present case 16 months elapsed before the tooth had erupted to the level of the occlusal plane.