Congenitally Missing Lateral Incisors: The Team Approach to Ensuring Success (with Dr. Vic Martel) Artwork

Everyday Oral Surgery

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Everyday Oral Surgery

Congenitally Missing Lateral Incisors: The Team Approach to Ensuring Success (with Dr. Vic Martel)

September 08, 2025 • Grant Stucki - oral and maxillofacial surgeon • Episode 321

Treating congenitally missing lateral incisors is a family and team affair, and it requires stringent protocols to achieve the desired outcome. Dr. Vic Martel, a general dentist in Florida, joins Dr. Stucki on this episode of Everyday Oral Surgery. Their conversation focuses on the interdisciplinary team approach required for successfully treating congenitally missing lateral incisors. Dr. Martel shares his protocol for managing these cases, shedding light on key orthodontic considerations and when it's time to refer to the surgeon. He also details the crucial 3A-2B Rule and explains the important factors that restorative dentists should understand about the implant process to achieve long-term success. Tune in to learn more about his approach and why, in his words, "implants are all about the long game."

Key Points From This Episode:

How Dr. Martel came up with his general protocol regarding missing lateral incisors.
Step one: diagnosis between 7 and 9 years of age.
What’s next after the diagnosis: communication is crucial.
His thoughts on the ortho component of his protocol.
At what point do we see the retained primary teeth coming out.
When it’s time to see the surgeon.
He explains his release form: an unfortunate story.
We discuss the age difference between males and females.
Dr. Martel unpacks the 3A-2B Rule.
Restoring the super-narrow versus the regular narrow.
Dr. Martel shares one of his frustrating stories.
We discuss how restorative dentists handle the occlusions.
Important things dentists need to understand.
Why implants are all about the long game.
He details his 10-minute lecture on the implant failures he’s encountered.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Dr. Vic Martel on LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-martel-dmd-91431922/

Dr. Vic Martel on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/drvicmartel/

Dr. Vic Martel Email — martelacademy@gmail.com

Parent Instruction Sheet —

Martel Academy — https://www.martelacademy.com/

Literature 3A-2B Rule — https://www.prosthodontics.es/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/2013-Rojas-Vizcaya.pdf

Everyday Oral Surgery Website — https://www.everydayoralsurgery.com/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/everydayoralsurgery/

Everyday Oral Surgery on Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/EverydayOralSurgery/

Dr. Grant Stucki Email — grantstucki@gmail.com

Dr. Grant Stucki Phone — 720-441-6059