Treatment for Peg Lateral Teeth

Treatment for Peg Lateral Teeth

By Mina Levi, DDS 08/28/2014

What is a peg lateral tooth? Peg lateral teeth are terms used to describe a condition where the lateral incisors (second tooth on either side of the very front upper teeth) are undersized and are smaller than normal. This condition occurs when the incisors to not fully develop. In some cases, permanent adult lateral incisor teeth do not develop at all, leaving only the baby teeth. Peg lateral teeth refer to the under-developed adult tooth erupted in the incisor place.

35 year old female patient S.M. presented with a peg lateral incisor on the upper right side.

There are multiple ways to treat a peg lateral tooth to make it look more fully developed. One is cosmetic bonding, and the other is porcelain veneers. Cosmetic bonding is the application of a composite material that is matched to tooth color (usually, Zoom whitening or at-home whitening kits are recommended before this procedure) to the surfaces of the teeth. This composite material is then sculpted into the shape that is so desired by the patient to achieve the highest aesthetic value. Porcelain veneers are thin “shells” of porcelain fabricated in a laboratory that cover the front surfaces of the teeth. The teeth are prepared for the veneers, molded impressions of the teeth are then sent out to a laboratory so that the veneers can be made to fit the exact tooth structure. Then the veneers are applied to the teeth with an adhesive.

In this patient’s case, the porcelain veneer was the best option. After a quick preparation, Dentist San Francisco Mina Levi, DDS took impressions of the tooth for Lumineers by DenMat, which are very thin veneers that do not require removal of a large amount of healthy tooth structure. After about two weeks, the Lumineer was fabricated and Dr. Mina Levi the permanent restoration.  

 

If you have questions about peg lateral incisors, cosmetic bonding or Lumineers, visit Mina Levi, DDS on the web at www.minalevidds.com or give us a call at (415) 513-5066.

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