Retention of deciduous molar crown after early loss of mandibular permanent molar

Roentgeno-oddities

Volume 54 Number 4

RETENTION OF DECIDUOUS MOLAR CROWN AFTER EARLY LOSS OF MANDIBULAR PERMANENT MOLAR

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7-year-old white girl was first seenin the dental clinic on July 7, 1976. Radiographs and a clinical examination demonstrated multiple caries, including involvement of the lower first permanent molar (Fig. 1). The patient failed to return for restorative care and was not seen again until Dec. 28, 1978, when a painful maxillary molar prompted her to seekcare. It was during this visit that an unusual eruption pattern of the lower left quadrant was observed (Fig. 2). The lower left first permanent molar had been extracted approximately 18 months before this visit. The lower left second premolar had erupted distal to the lower left deciduous second molar. The lower left permanent second molar had moved mesially a few millimeters into a functional occlusion. The deciduous molar was not mobile and was firmly positioned as a pontic between the premolar and molar. The lower right dentition had developed normally. William

V. Falk

Children’s Medical Center 1735 Chapel St. Dayton, Ohio 45404

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