Transposition: A Real Challenge for the Clinician

  • Dr James Pazhayattil, Brunei Darussalam

Transposition has been described as an interchange in the position of two permanent teeth within the same quadrant of the dental arch. It is considered as a relatively rare developmental dental anomaly of unknown origin which creates many orthodontic problems from both the esthetic and functional point of view. This anomaly seems to affect almost equally males and females and is found more commonly in the maxillary arch. Treatment of such a problem has always been a challenge to the attending orthodontist.At many situations it is usual to accept the transposition although attempts have been made to correct this anomaly. This clinical paper discusses the possible etiologic factors causing such a problem and by presenting few interesting cases, illustrates the treatment options and alternatives.