Failure of tooth eruption involving a mandibular primary first molar: a case report

Primary failure of tooth eruption involving primary teeth is unusual. The purpose of this report was to describe uneruption of a single mandibular primary first molar and the treatment outcome following limited orthodontic care.

A 5-year, 3-month-old boy was referred to the authors' clinic for treatment of an unerupted primary first molar, 3 months after fenestration by an oral surgeon. Orthodontic traction was performed on the affected molar in the authors' clinic. The affected mandibular primary first molar was fully erupted and in occlusion 16 months after the first fenestration.

The histopathological diagnosis of the overlying tissue was pericoronal myxofibrous hyperplasia (PMH) without any calcified obstacles.

Of the 26 primary tooth eruption failure cases treated in the authors' clinic between 1979 and 2003, the present case was the only example of a primary first molar.