# The ‘ugly duckling stage’ is characterized by:
A. Distoangular axial inclination of the crown of maxillary incisors
B. Deep overbite
C. Mandibular lateral incisors erupting lingual to mandibular central incisors
D. Maxillary lateral incisors erupting lingual to maxillary central incisors
The correct answer is A. Distoangular axial inclination of the crown of maxillary incisors.
In some children, the maxillary incisors flare laterally and are widely spaced when they first erupt, a condition often called the "ugly duckling" stage. The position of the incisors tends to improve when the permanent canines erupt, but this condition increases the possibility that the canines will become
impacted.
Ref: Contemporary Orthodontics, Proffit, Fourth Edition, Page no. 101