Oral rehabilitation of primary dentition affected by amelogenesis imperfecta: a case report

The purpose of the case report was to describe the treatment of a 4(1/2)-year-old boy with amelogenesis imperfect (AI) in the primary dentition.

AI is a hereditary condition that affects the development of enamel, causing quantity, structural, and compositional anomalies involving all dentitions. Consequently, the effects can extend to both the primary and secondary dentitions.

A 4(1/2)-year-old boy was brought to the dental clinic complaining of tooth hypersensitivity during meals. The medical history and clinical examination were used to arrive at the diagnosis of amelogenesis imperfecta. The treatment was oral rehabilitation of the primary molars with stainless steel crowns and resin-filled celluloid forms of both maxillary and mandibular primary incisors and canines. Improvements in the patient's psychological behavior and the elimination of tooth sensitiveness were observed, and the reestablishment of a normal occlusion resulted in improved eating habits. The child was monitored in the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic at four-month intervals until the mixed dentition stage.

The oral rehabilitation of young children with AI is necessary to reestablish the stomatognathic system function, so important for a child's systemic health. An adequate medical history and a careful clinical examination were essential for a correct diagnosis. Treatment was rendered that was appropriate for the child's age and clinical/psychological characteristics.

Cost-effective restorative techniques involving stainless steel and composite-resin crowns are shown for the restoration of a young patient with amelogensis imperfecta.