Abstract
This paper reports on the clinical observations of inverted maxillary central incisors of 16 patients who came to our clinic. Details of the detection, causes of the impaction, the location of the impacted teeth and the age of the patients at the initial visits were recorded. The angle of the crown inclination, crown-root angulation and the stage of root formation were examined for each group of the cases of crown exposure followed by traction and the cases of extraction.
For the crown exposure and traction group, the mean age of the patients at the initial visit was 7y5m, the mean value of the crown inclination was 88.8 degrees and the mean value of the crown-root angulation was 64.0 degrees. The examination of the root formation stage at the initial visit revealed that two teeth were at Ri-R1/4, three at R1/4-R1/2, two at R1/2-R3/4, and one at R3/4-Rc.
For the extraction group, the mean age of the patients at the initial visit was 9y6m, the mean value of the crown inclination was 111.6 degrees and the mean value of the crown-root angulation was 91.6 degrees. The examination of the root formation stage at the intial visit revealed that four teeth were at R3/4-Rc and three at Rc.
These observations suggest that the treatment planning, whether for traction or extraction of the impacted and unerupted maxillary central incisors, should be made according to the crown-root angulation, the stage of root formation and the age at the intial visit in addition to the angle of the crown inclination.
