ANKYLOSIS OF TOOTH 46

A 27 year old woman came to an orthopedic dentistry clinic with complaints of teeth crowding in the upper and lower jaws, an aesthetic defect. One of the patient’s complaints was that tooth 46 was located below the rest of the teeth.

To determine the treatment plan, the patient was asked to get X-rays of the upper and lower jaw.

On the panoramic X-ray scans, tooth 46 was identified as having been previously treated, and was located below the other teeth. The periodontal gap was not visualized, indicating that the cemented tooth root merged with the jaw bone which is why tooth 46 has not fully erupted vertically.

Diagnosis: Ankylosis of tooth 46, crowded teeth of the upper and lower jaw.

Orthodontic treatment of crowded teeth was recommended, followed by orthopedic treatment with a metal-ceramic crown on tooth 46 and adjusting dental bite.