Alveolar bone width preservation after decoronation of ankylosed anterior incisors

The aim of the study was to assess the alteration of alveolar ridge dimensions after decoronation procedures in children and adolescents at least 1 year after surgery.

Twelve children who underwent decoronation of ankylosed maxillary anterior incisors with at least 1 year after surgery follow-up were recalled for reevaluation. All decoronations were performed when the ankylosed teeth were submerged 1-1.5 mm. During the recall appointment, impressions of the upper arch were obtained. The bucco-palatal alveolar dimensions of the decoronated teeth were measured on the cast at the mid-mesiodistal distance from the missing tooth and were compared with the distance from the contralateral healthy incisor.

Overall, 12 children (9 male and 3 female) were reevaluated up to 82 months after decoronation (mean, 49.58 ± 24 months). The mean age of the patients at the time of trauma was 9.83 ± 2.8 years. The average bucco-palatal dimension of the alveolar ridge at the mid-decoronation area was 9 ± 1 mm compared with 10.17 ± 0.9 mm at the contralateral homologous tooth (difference of 1.67 ± 1.12, P = .004). The findings show a positive statistical correlation between the duration of the follow-up period and the bucco-palatal dimension of the alveolar ridge (P = .027).

Although decoronation of ankylosed young permanent incisors resulted in a decrease in the bucco-palatal dimension with time, it did not prevent additional alveolar growth that occurs with age in a developing child and thus may help maintain the alveolar bone ridge width, height, and continuity and assist in future rehabilitation with less invasive ridge augmentation procedures required for implant placement.