Treatment of Congenitally Missing Lateral Incisors---A Post-Treatment Esthetic Evaluation

Maxillary lateral incisor agenesis is relatively common in orthodontic offices and requires multidisciplinary action. While these cases are usually treated with a lateral incisor implant, a resin-modified bridge (RMB), or orthodontic space closure, little attention has been placed in the literature on comparing these three treatments in a post-treatment esthetic evaluation. This study asked orthodontists, prosthodontists, and general dentists to evaluate the final aesthetic outcomes of these treatment options. Using anterior intraoral photographs, all dentists were asked to rate the esthetics of differently treated missing lateral incisors, to identify which treatment was rendered, and develop a treatment plan a lateral incisor agenesis case. Results showed that implants and RMBs separately were esthetically rated the same for all three doctor groups, while space closure was ranked less esthetic by prosthodontists than by orthodontists or general dentists. All doctor groups could distinguish between treated or natural lateral incisors the same. For a Class I lateral incisor agenesis prosthodontists and orthodontists are more inclined to do implants than general dentists. In a Class II case orthodontists are more inclined to plan for space closure than prosthodontists or general dentists.