Rescue of a "hopeless" second premolar

We present a case of a young male who was referred to our clinic because of a deep caries on the first lower left molar. The patient refused conservative treatment, and the caries progressed. After 2 years the first lower left molar had to be extracted. During standard x-ray procedures, a deeply impacted second lower left premolar was diagnosed. The boy was followed by our staff, and surgery was performed at proper time to enable eruption of the second lower left premolar. Orthodontic treatment allowed us to bring the element in a suitable position to place a provisional Maryland bridge. At a later stage the missing element (first lower left molar) will be replaced by an osteointegrated implant.