Missing Incisors

At the offices of the Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania, we provide people with replacements for missing teeth. When most people hear this, they probably think of teeth that have been lost to injury or infection, but prosthetic teeth are also of great value to people whose teeth never developed at all. In about 2% of the population, the upper lateral incisors, which are the flat teeth on the sides of the two front teeth, fail to erupt.

Fixing this problem requires collaboration between the oral surgeon and an orthodontist, particularly when the incisors exist but never descended through the gum line. In these cases, it may be necessary for the oral surgeon to cut into the gum tissue and expose the teeth and attach brackets. The incisors may then be guided into place with wires  by the orthodontist.  But when the teeth are absent altogether, they have to be substituted. If an orthodontist is able to make enough space, the incisors can be replaced with several different kinds of prosthetics depending on the patient’s needs. These could be anything from fixed single implants or bridges to removable partial dentures. If the patient decides to go that route, it is very important for them to wear their retainer, or else their teeth may shift into a position that won’t work with the denture or bridge.

The Oral Surgery Consultants of Pennsylvania operate in Philadelphia, Folsom, and Clifton Heights. Visit Oral Surgery PA or call 215-463-4141.