Early mandibular canine-lateral incisor transposition: case report

The main aim of the present study is to present a case of mandibular transposition between lateral incisor and canine in a paediatric patient.

A fixed multibracket orthodontic treatment was performed by means of a modified welded arch as to correct the transposition and obtaining a class I functional and symmetrical occlusion, also thanks to the early diagnosis of the eruption anomaly.

Our case report shows that a satisfactory treatment of mandibular transpositions is obtained when detected at an early stage of the tooth development.

The main treatment options to be taken into consideration in case of a mandibular transposition are two: correcting the transposition or aligning it leaving the dental elements in their transposed order; in both cases, the follow-ups show a stable condition, maintained without relapses. Several factors, such as age of the patient, occlusion, aesthetics, patient's collaboration, periodontal support and duration of treatment have to be considered as to prevent potential damage to dental elements and support appliances. The choice between the two treatment approaches for mandibular lateral incisor/canine transpositions mainly depends on the time the anomaly is detected.