ISOLATED AGENESIS OF A MAXILLARY CENTRAL INCISOR: A case report and literature review

Isolated Agenesis of a Maxillary Central Incisor

Abstract

Background: Hypodontia is one of the most common 
developmental anomalies in humans. The most frequently missing 
tooth is the third molar. Agenesis of maxillary central incisors is 
extremely rare.  
Objective: This article reports a rare case of agenesis of the left 
maxillary central incisor in our practice, without any associated 
problems.  
Case Report: A 15-year-old girl who presented with agenesis of the 
maxillary left central incisor. There was no history of previous 
extraction of the upper left central incisor and no associated 
odontome, no systemic disease, or family history of oligodontia. The 
patient was generally well. Systemic examination was essentially 
normal. Intraoral examination showed that she had a full complement 
of teeth, except for the missing maxillary left central incisor. The 
standard occlusal radiograph of the patient revealed that the left 
maxillary central incisor was missing. 
Conclusion: The cause of the agenesis resulting in this rare condition 
is not clear, but may be due to inadequate secretion of some of the 
signaling molecules or localized absence of their receptors in the 
ectomesenchyme destined to differentiate into the left maxillary 
central incisor.