[Partial orthodontic treatment--a case report and its implications]

Several theories lie behind the development of lower incisors crowding. Nowadays, many adults are seeking for treatment to resolve this problem. The present case report describes development of mild lower incisor crowding during one year of partial orthodontic treatment in the maxillary arch of a young adult patient. In trying to explain what was behind the speedy process, which forced the orthodontist to add the lower arch to the treatment, we found that narrowing the upper arch in the canine's area was the best explanation to this pathological process. The effect of the upper arch width on the lower one is quoted in many publications but it is not related to the lower incisors crowding phenomenon.