Surgical removal of supernumerary teeth and the fate of incisor eruption.

AIM: The aims of this study were firstly to determine the fate of unerupted permanent maxillary incisor teeth following supernumerary tooth removal and secondly to make recommendations regarding the management of such incisor teeth following supernumerary tooth extraction. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study. METHODS: Records of children attending the Departments of Paediatric Dentistry, Edinburgh Dental Institute, Lothian Primary Care NHS Trust and Dundee Dental Hospital, Tayside University Hospitals Trust between 1995 and 2002 were examined with regard to non-eruption of one or both maxillary central incisors in association with supernumerary teeth requiring surgical removal. Subsequent permanent maxillary incisor eruption was recorded and in those cases of incisor non-eruption, further surgical interventions were noted. RESULTS: In all 118 sets of patient records were included in the study (87 males, 31 females) with a mean age at presentation of 8.8 years (range 5.3-11.6 years). Failure of eruption of the associated permanent maxillary central incisor teeth occurred in 27% of cases, in relation to both conical and tuberculate supernumerary teeth. All tuberculate supernumerary teeth associated with non-eruption cases were palatally placed and 59% were adjacent to maxillary incisors with near complete apex formation. To facilitate incisor eruption in these cases, 41% required surgical exposure of the non-erupted incisor tooth and 59% required surgical exposure with bonding of an orthodontic bracket and gold chain for orthodontic traction. CONCLUSION: Non-erupted permanent maxillary incisor teeth with near complete apical formation, associated with palatally placed, tuberculate-shaped supernumerary teeth, may benefit from having an orthodontic bracket and gold chain placed at the same time as the surgical procedure to remove the supernumerary tooth to facilitate future orthodontic traction.