Combined surgical luxation and orthodontic traction treatment of a severely infraoccluded primary molar with deep caries: a case report and literature review

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ABSTRACT

Background

Infraocclusion refers to a tooth located below the occlusal surface compared to adjacent teeth long after it should have reached occlusion. Ankylosis is frequently associated with the infraocclusion of primary molars, but it is challenging to distinguish between the two conditions. Surgical luxation and orthodontic traction have been applied for the treatment of ankylosed, infraoccluded permanent teeth, but reports on primary molars are scarce.

Case report

A 5-year-old boy presented with a severely infraoccluded primary mandibular second molar with deep caries. A partial pulpotomy was performed to treat the affected tooth when the pulp was exposed after caries removal. A combination of surgical luxation and orthodontic tractionwas performed for the affected tooth, and after 5 months, the tooth successfully erupted to the occlusal level. During the follow-up period of two years, no complications were observed.

Conclusion

This report identified that surgical luxation, in conjunction with orthodontic traction, is effective and feasible for severely infraoccluded primary teeth. Additionally, partial pulpotomy may be an alternative for vital pulp therapy on primary teeth.

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