Miscellaneous Photographs - Malformed peg-shaped lateral incisor

These intra oral photos show the restoration of a malformed ‘peg shaped’ upper right lateral incisor. The ‘before’ intra oral photo shows the appearance of this tooth prior to treatment. The ‘after’ intra oral photo shows the same tooth after restoration with a porcelain crown. The prevalence rate of peg shaped permanent lateral incisor teeth in the general population is approximately 2%. The desirability to restore a peg shaped lateral would be for obvious cosmetic appearance. In this instance, restoration with a porcelain crown requires two visits to the dental surgery. The first visit entails tooth preparation which tends to be minimal due to the already reduced size and shape of the tooth. Impressions of the mouth are then taken and sent to the dental laboratory where the crown is fabricated on models of the teeth. The final crown is then cemented at the second dental surgery visit. An alternative option to porcelain crowns is for the dentist to use adhesive composite resin restorative material bonded to the malformed tooth in order to achieve a more desired shape. The advantage of a porcelain crown over composite material tends to be one of strength and durability. In some instances malformed peg shaped laterals are managed with a combined orthodontic tooth movement and restorative treatment approach.