Prosthetic considerations in the restoration of orthodontically treated maxillary lateral incisors to replace missing central incisors: A clinical report

The treatment of young patients with missing maxillary incisors poses a challenge to prosthodontists and orthodontists. The 2 principal treatment options are (1) the reopening or maintenance of space for future autotransplantation and/or prosthodontic restoration of the missing teeth, or (2) total orthodontic space closure, followed by prosthodontic modification of the lateral incisors to simulate the central incisors. This article discusses only the second option and describes 2 alternative methods for the modification of crown anatomy. These procedures facilitate the orthodontic closure of missing central incisor spaces to ensure satisfactory, esthetic results.