Open surgical exposure of two horizontally impacted maxillary incisors combined with orthodontic treatment: A case report

INTRODUCTION: Maxillary anterior teeth that have not erupted may substantially alter the appearance of the teeth and face. Orthodontists often encounter a clinical challenge while dealing with an impacted maxillary incisor, which creates space problems in the anterior region. The purpose of this paper is to describe the well-synchronized orthodontic and surgical treatment of a horizontally impacted maxillary central incisors.

CASE PRESENTATION: A male patient, aged 27, presented with a complaint of unerupted two maxillary front teeth. This resulted in the displacement of adjacent teeth into the vacant region. An intraoral examination revealed a Class II molars on both sides, a deep curve of the space with a 2.3 mm overjet, and an edge-to-edge bite of 0.1 mm. The 3D cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging unveiled a labial impacted and a rotation of approximately 90 degrees (horizontal impacted) on both central maxillary incisors.

DISCUSSION: The self-ligating bracket was installed and orthodontic traction aligned the affected tooth in the dental arch. To reach the labial surface of the impacted incisor, open surgical exposure by window excision of soft tissues with a laser was preferable due to the large bulge in the sulcus. Because self-ligating bracket systems employed modest pressures to position the maxillary right central incisor in the arch, the window surgical technique did not produce gingival scarring or increased clinical crown length.

CONCLUSION: The impacted upper central incisor was successfully treated using a collaborative interdisciplinary (surgical-orthodontic) approach, which resulted in a favorable aesthetic and functional outcome.