Orthodontic management of ankylosed permanent posterior teeth: a clinical report of three cases.

Ankylosed permanent posterior teeth may have a better prognosis than has been generally assumed. Three case reports offer testimony to the effectiveness of surgical luxation (loosening) with forced eruption induced by elastic force. Individual teeth, the occlusion, and the alveolar process may be preserved by early and aggressive treatment. The prognosis may be questionable, but the effect is preferable to premature extraction.