Dental implants in children

Abstract

Some children and adolescents have anodontia, partial anodontia, congenitally missing teeth, and lost teeth as a result of trauma, and they may benefit from early placement of dental implants. Clinicians should have an understanding of the potential risks involved in placing implants in jaws that are still growing and developing and consider the effect that implants have on craniofacial growth. Implants may act as ankylotic teeth and fail to move together with the surrounding structures, which produces an infraocclusion that leads to difficulties with prosthetics. Young patients may require general anesthesia for the procedure and there may be limited cooperation in maintaining good oral hygiene.