Migration following crown-lengthening procedure-A case report

Periodontal surgery may be accompanied with some postoperative complications such as pain, swelling and sloughing, purulence or infection, transient bacteremia, nerve trauma, and hemorrhage. In general, a resective surgical intervention may implicate reduction in the attachment apparatus. Migration as a postoperative complication has never been addressed in the literature. This paper presents a case report detailing migration of a tooth, following a surgical preprosthetic clinical crown-lengthening procedure, which was repositioned using adjunctive orthodontics with a removable maxillary modified Hawley appliance. It is incumbent upon the dentist to examine meticulously the occlusal status of the teeth prior to a planned surgical intervention and to take measures preventing any possible tooth migration during the healing process. Failure to achieve occlusal and intra-arch stability may lead to undesired tooth movement in the arch postsurgery, affecting future prognosis and complicating any planned prosthetic work.