A common dental condition is the congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisor. Very often both laterals are missing and the course of treatment can be significant in determining the outcome. The most common error here is to move the cuspids into the spaces normally occupied by the lateral incisors. If this is done, all subsequent treatment is a compromise.

Before dental implants, missing lateral incisors had to be replaced by either fixed or removable restorations, neither of which was a really satisfactory restoration. Today, it is a relatively easy job to place and restore implants in the missing lateral sites with very predictable results.