Dental trauma clinically mimicking single central incisor syndrome

purpose: this paper presents a clinical case in which a patient was missing a median central incisor due to trauma but was referred for orthodontic treatment because of suspicions of solitary median maxillary central incisor (smmci) syndrome. case description: a 12-year-old female patient visited the clinic with concerns about the appearance of her teeth. an oral examination revealed the presence of a single central incisor that was located on the midline and was adjacent to the maxillary lateral incisors. the patient reported two episodes of dental avulsion (of teeth 11 and 21) that had occurred approximately four years earlier. tooth 11 was replanted; however, it was subsequently extracted due to pain. a panoramic radiograph and cephalometric analysis revealed a history of unsuccessful root canal treatment on tooth 21, a straight profile and symmetrical facial features. tooth 21 was extracted, followed by the traction of the maxillary teeth in the mesial direction and the esthetic transformation of the lateral incisors into central incisors and the canines into lateral incisors. conclusion: dental trauma followed by tooth loss may mimic solitary median maxillary central incisor syndrome.