Description
Ectopic incisor
“An ectopic permanent incisor is an incisor which has deviated its path of eruption. It may present as a delayed eruption compared to the contralateral incisor.”
– Cobourne and DiBiase 2010
The most commonly affected incisors are the upper central incisors. These incisors tend to erupt around the age of 6 to 7 years old. Delayed or asymmetric eruption signs should be investigated for common obstructions or root development abnormalities.
The incidence of ectopic incisors has been reported to be rare at less than 0.1% (Grover and Lorton 1985), however it may account for up to 2.6% of a specialist orthodontic practice (DiBiase 1969). It affects males at 2.7:1 compared to females (Bartolo et al. 2010).
Investigations should involve radiographic and clinical examinations. If a central incisor is unerupted, the lateral incisors can rapidly drift into the midline causing space loss. Treatment objectives are usually to space open, retrieve the incisor by removing the cause of the ectopic or delayed incisor eruption with the possibility of active traction of the tooth. The alternative treatment objectives are to remove the ectopic incisor and space close with orthodontics or space open for prosthetic replacement.
