Developmental anomaly of permanent teeth related to traumatic injury.

A case is presented where a 4-year-old girl was injured in an automobile accident. The dental injury, intrusive luxation of the maxillary deciduous incisors, seemed unimportant at the time, since the child was in critical condition. The situation was first evaluated 5 years later, when the child was referred for treatment of an apical periodontitis originating from the right central incisor. The present case reflects several important aspects that were overlooked at the time of injury: the potential of intruded luxated deciduous teeth to cause developmental anomalies to the permanent dentition; the necessity of a longer follow-up period to detect such anomalies; and the need to develop effective treatment methods.