Multidisciplinary approach to multiple dental anomalies in pediatric patients: a case report with 4-year follow-up

The objective of this article is to report the clinical case and 4-year follow-up of a 5-year-old child with multiple dental anomalies, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and use of combined pediatric surgery and orthodontic approaches. A 5-year-old boy, accompanied by his mother, sought dental care for dental caries and tooth pain. Clinical and radiographic examinations revealed active caries, a supernumerary primary tooth in the region of the mandibular right second premolar, and severe ankylosis of the primary mandibular right second molar. The treatment plan involved extraction of the supernumerary tooth as well as sectioning and extraction of the ankylosed molar. When the patient was 6 years old, the permanent mandibular right first molar showed signs of an altered eruptive process, and orthodontic treatment was initiated. A unilateral band-and-loop space maintainer with coil springs designed to move the permanent first molar was placed on the primary first molar. A new panoramic radiograph, obtained when the patient was aged 7 years, suggested the presence of an odontoma in the apical region of the primary maxillary right canine. Surgical removal and histopathologic examination of the lesion confirmed that it was a developing odontoma. After surgery, due to occlusal anomalies that included transverse maxillary deficiency, deep overbite, and midline deviation, the patient underwent rapid maxillary expansion therapy with a Haas-type appliance. When the patient was 8 years old, orthodontic treatment continued with a removable palatal Hawley expander and a orthodontic mandibular lingual arch. Currently, at the age of 9 years, the child is still undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment after surgical exposure of the impacted permanent maxillary right canine and bonding of an orthodontic attachment to enable traction. A multidisciplinary approach to the management of dental anomalies promotes a favorable prognosis and ensures comprehensive treatment of young patients.