From Volume 41, Issue 10, December 2014 | Pages 867-874
Maxillary microdont lateral incisors can have significant implications on the development of the permanent dentition in terms of the eruption of maxillary permanent canines, as well as on the aesthetics of the upper labial segment and the overall occlusion, depending on the extent of microdontia. This paper describes the aetiology, clinical implications and management of the maxillary microdont lateral incisor.
The term ‘microdont teeth’ or microdontia refers to teeth that are developmentally small, often in three dimensions. The normal crown height of the maxillary lateral incisor is 9 mm, the length of the root is about 13 mm, the mesiodistal crown diameter is about 6.5 mm and the labiolingual crown dimension is about 6 mm.1 The term ‘microdont’ or peg-shaped lateral incisors refers to lateral incisor teeth that have either a reduced mesiodistal width and/or a reduction in the vertical height. These teeth are more often maxillary lateral incisors as opposed to mandibular and may be unilaterally or bilaterally microdont. The overall prevalence of peg-shaped maxillary permanent lateral incisors is 1.8%.2 The occurrence rates are higher in Down's syndrome (3.1%) than in Afro-Caribbean (1.5%) and Caucasian (1.3%) patients, and in orthodontic patients (2.7%) than in the general population (1.6%) and dental patients (1.9%). Women are 1.35 times more likely than men to have peg-shaped maxillary permanent lateral incisors. The prevalence rates of unilateral (0.8%) and bilateral peg-shaped maxillary permanent lateral incisors are approximately the same.
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