Factors Affecting Decision-Making For Congenitally Missing Permanent Maxillary Lateral Incisors: A Retrospective Study.

The aims of this study were as follows: 1) to retrospectively evaluate clinical situations of patients with congenitally missing permanent maxillary lateral incisors (CMPMLI) who were referred to three dental clinics specialised in prosthodontics over a 14-year period and 2) to investigate the factors affecting decision-making for patients with CMPMLI. The records of 46 patients with CMPMLI who were treated over a period of 14 years were examined to determine the mechanism of decision-making for treatment planning and factors affecting the decision. Descriptive statistics were used in the initial analysis of the entire data set. In addition, a correlation coefficient-the nonparametric Spearman's rho coefficient-was calculated to trace any possible relation between variables or rank orders. The significance level was set at 0.05 for the analysis. The results of this study revealed that decision-making for treatment of CMPMLI is directly dependent mainly on the following four factors: 1. Patient's age at treatment commencement 2. Individual characteristics of each clinical situation, which play a crucial but not an exclusive role in the treatment approach 3. Synthesis of the participating specialists in the treating team, which plays a crucial role in the decision-making 4. Use of pin-retained resin-bonded bridges (RBBs), either bilaterally attached or cantilevered, proved to be a reliable solution in terms of aesthetics, function and soft tissue response during the study period. Clinical implication: The rationale in the decision-making process for patients with congenitally missing permanent maxillary lateral incisors was investigated in this study to determine whether specific treatment options are superior to others.