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Missing Lateral Incisor? How We Can Help

Love Yourself, Love Your Smile

Man smiles after replacing is lateral incisor
  • Dr. Monica Madan
  • January 12, 2024

If you are one of the lucky people who have already had to navigate the world of wisdom tooth extraction, you might know that not everyone is born with all four wisdom teeth. But did you know the second most common congenitally missing tooth is the maxillary lateral incisor?

Missing lateral Incisor

The maxillary lateral incisor is the top tooth directly next to your front teeth on either side, and it is very common for people to be missing one, or both, or have small peg-shaped laterals.

Panoramic Radiograph Showing Missing Lateral Incisors

If you are missing your lateral incisor, there are different ways of replacing that tooth or closing the gap, and orthodontics can help with many of those techniques.

A Missing Lateral Incisor Could Cause Other Problems

If you were born without one or both of your lateral incisors, you may be thinking, “That’s just who I am, why change it?” While self-acceptance is important, it cannot prevent the cascading adverse effects of dental irregularities. Having your teeth in proper alignment is a necessary support for both oral and overall health.

Missing a lateral incisor, or any tooth, can lead to other problems down the road. Missing lateral incisors can cause:

  • Aesthetic concerns. A gap from a missing tooth in the front of your smile can impact your self-esteem and even cause you not to smile as broadly as you want to.
  • Difficulty speaking. Missing a tooth, especially a lateral incisor, can lead to pronunciation difficulties with sounds that require your tongue to touch your front teeth during pronunciation. Replacing the tooth can improve your speech.
  • Difficulty eating. Without one of your incisors, it can be more difficult to bite into food and tear pieces off—the main role of your front teeth in the chewing process. Missing a front tooth puts undue pressure on the other incisors when eating and could lead to tooth trauma, which may necessitate tooth extraction down the line.
  • Other teeth shifting. Your teeth move throughout your life, but missing a tooth leaves more room for the teeth to shift. Malocclusion—a problem with the way your top and bottom teeth align—can lead to muscle aches, headaches, trapped food, gum disease, or cavities.
  • Bone loss. When you chew or bite, the roots of your teeth put pressure on your jaw bones, stimulating healthy bone growth and turnover throughout your life. If you are missing a tooth and your bone doesn’t feel that pressure, it will slowly stop regenerating and wear away. If you lose bone from a missing tooth, it can cause a cascade effect where nearby teeth could lose support and fall out.

Options to Replace a Missing Lateral Incisor

The good news is that a missing tooth is an easily remedied problem. If you are missing a lateral incisor or other tooth, then orthodontics can help. In the past, a dental bridge for missing lateral incisors was the most common replacement method, but that comes with its own drawbacks. Now, we have other methods for replacing missing lateral incisors or any other teeth.

Methods for Replacing Missing Lateral Incisors
 What It IsProsCons
Dental Implant

Commonly made of titanium, an implant is placed into the jaw and allowed to integrate (fuse) to the bone.

Once healed, an abutment and crown are attached to replace the missing tooth.

Long-term replacement with excellent aesthetic outcomes and low additional maintenance.

Expensive.

Possibility of implant failure.

Canine SubstitutionUsing orthodontics, the patient’s canine tooth is moved over and shaped to resemble the missing lateral filling in the space.

Permanent solution with low additional maintenance.

No need for foreign materials in your body.

Depending on tooth morphology (size and shape of your tooth) substitution may not be aesthetically ideal or the best functional option.
Fixed BridgeThe adjacent teeth on either side of the missing lateral incisor are shaved down, and a bridge of three replacement crowns is bonded to those adjacent teeth, restoring their shape and filling in the space of the missing lateral.

Less costly than implants.

Quick treatment option compared to orthodontics or implants.

Require more meticulous home care to clean under the bridge.

May need replacing after an average of 10 years.

Requires the loss of healthy tooth structure from adjacent teeth.

Bone loss can occur under the missing tooth.

Removable Partial DentureTypically made of plastic and metal, a framework holding the replacement tooth will snap securely to the adjacent teeth to hold the replacement tooth in place.

More affordable than dental implants.

Good aesthetic matching options.

Fragile – easy to damage when chewing, so you will need to remove it when eating.

Won’t stop bone from receding where the missing tooth is.

Temporary PlaceholdersFalse teeth are attached to removable devices (like retainers or clear aligners) to give the appearance of a tooth temporarily.Great for children or individuals undergoing orthodontic treatment who need time before a permanent replacement can be used.

Not a permanent solution.

Can be broken or lost.

Your treatment plan to replace missing lateral incisors will be developed by an orthodontist and specialist dental professionals. Treatment plans are based on a number of things, including your current bite, your ideal bite, aesthetic goals, and functionality. In many cases, depending on how long you have been without a lateral incisor, you may need orthodontics to make space for your replacement option.

Ready To Replace Your Missing Lateral Incisor? Start With a Free Consultation

The first step in replacing your missing lateral incisor is to book an orthodontic treatment consultation to evaluate your occlusion and bone levels. The Beverly Hills Orthodontics team firmly believes that every individual deserves a smile they love and can be proud of. Everyone at BHO is dedicated to helping you achieve the smile of your dreams—including finding the right treatment option to replace your missing lateral incisor.

Come find out for yourself what personalized treatment and dedicated follow-up care can mean for your health and self-confidence.

Looking to fix your missing lateral incisor? Call us at 310-785-0770 or book a complimentary consultation today.

NOTE: All blog content is intended to supplement—NOT REPLACE—the expertise of a healthcare professional and should not be construed in any way as medical advice. Consult a professional orthodontist directly, like the ones at BHO, to assess your individual needs and advise the best course of treatment.

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We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our communities with the highest quality care. Check out what our patients are saying about their 5-star experience with us!

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Lizzie S.
No one has scheduled my appointment better than Anthony and Dr. Madden is the best doctor!!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your wonderful recommendation, Lizzie! We're thrilled to be considered the best in the area. Your support means a lot to us!
Alessandra M.
Dr Monica and her staff are just the absolute best. Office is beautiful and clean. Staff is great and kind and have never had any issues whatsoever. The work that she and her staff members do is just 10/10. They are also so welcoming and genuinely kind. Dr Monica and even members of her staff like Anthony will have genuine conversations with you and make you feel the most comfortable. Even during a treatment that many (including myself) are not fond of. (Anything dental related can be scary but they truly put you at peace.) I’m so happy that I made the decision to proceed with treatment here. All questions are always answered. Concerns dealt with. And treatment is impeccable. The results I already have solidify why I’m so happy with my decision to get work done here.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your wonderful review, Alessandra. We're thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience. Our team is dedicated to making every visit comfortable and welcoming. Your satisfaction is our priority!
nathalie K.
Very friendly staff & very accommoding. They are very understanding. Everyone here is super welcoming and very nice! Can't wait to see my next appointment.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your glowing review, Nathalie! We’re thrilled to hear that you found our team friendly and accommodating. We look forward to welcoming you back at your next appointment!
T W.
I highly recommend Dr Madan at BHO for all of your orthodontic needs. Between her warm personality, knowledge and skill you will have to look no further.
This office constantly has amazing offers and specials that make their treatment pricing EXTREMELY competitive. Trust me, as I’ve gotten consults from just about every provider in town. I am seeing unbelievable results with my Invisalign treatment only a few weeks in. Dr Madan was the obvious choice, as she made this process as minimally invasive as possible. I have been to multiple of her offices and they all are pristine. I would recommend to anyone in the LA area looking for the best provider for their orthodontist!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your glowing review! We're delighted you're experiencing exceptional results with your Invisalign treatment. Dr. Madan strives to create a comfortable and effective orthodontic experience for every patient.
Eva P.
So far I am having an amazing experience with Dr Madan and BHO. I’ve consulted with many Orthos over the years for Invisalign. Almost all said I would have to extract a tooth to solve over crowding issue on bottom teeth. Within literally 5 weeks of Invisalign, my bottom teeth are almost completely straightened out already. I cannot believe how fast this treatment is working. Not to mention, I had tradition braces in the past and my teeth fully reverted to their original form. It took over 4 years to correct my crowding with braces the first time, back in the day.

How incredible Dr Madan and her staff is , along with her immaculate offices deserves its own second review. 10/10 experience so far highly recommend them!
Response from the owner:Thank you, Eva! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience with Dr. Madan and our team. It’s rewarding to see your progress with Invisalign. Your recommendation means a lot to us!
Anahit M.
I’ve had a good experience here. I have been coming here for about two years and I’ve seen great progress.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your wonderful feedback, Anahit! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience and the progress you've made over the past two years. Your support means a lot to us!
valeria
Overall the best experience, definitely helped me get my self confidence back with my smile!!🥰
Response from the owner:We truly appreciate your feedback, Val! It’s fantastic to know that we positively impacted your self-confidence and smile. Thank you for choosing us and sharing your experience! We’re here for you anytime you need us.
Bardia A.
Monica and her team are so nice and professional. The experience has always been welcoming and the office was always clean and I felt totally comfortable coming in during the pandemic. They took every precaution and were so great to work with.
Response from the owner:We appreciate you taking the time to leave us feedback on your experience. We work very hard every day to exceed our patients’ expectations!
Justin H.
We have loved working with the team at Beverly Hills Orthodontics. We had 2 kids go through the Invisalign plan and they were always so nice and helpful in explaining everything. What a difference the program made!
Response from the owner:Thank you so much for the positive feedback. We are honored to serve each and every one of our patients!
Jade L.
Lose this dentist, the doctors are really nice and always answer my questions regarding my teeth.
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words about us and our staff!
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