Management of crowded class 1 malocclusion with serial extractions: report of a case.

AIM The purpose of this article is to show the value of serial extractions in a young patient with severe crowding. BACKGROUND Serial extraction is a technique advocated for use by Kjellgren in 1948 due to a shortage of orthodontists at the time. This form of treatment was intended to facilitate the treatment of orthodontic cases by general dentists to minimize the demand upon the orthodontist. CASE DESCRIPTION An eight-year-old Sudanese female did not like the appearance of her anterior teeth. Clinical examination revealed a Class I molar relationship, severe crowding of the maxillary and mandibular arches, minimum overjet, and minimum overbite. RESULTS The patient's treatment included serial extractions. The treatment resulted in improved esthetics, good arch alignment, and occlusion while maintaining her Class I molar relationship, overjet, and overbite. SUMMARY This case demonstrated that despite the criticism some may direct toward this interceptive technique, good clinical results can be achieved in carefully selected cases. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE There are certain clinical situations when treatment planning the use of serial extractions can prove beneficial to young patients.