Pediatric Implants - A Clinical Dilemma

Abstract

There are many diseases such as ectodermal dysplasia or oligodontia that lead to complete or partial anodontia in small children. Traumatic injuries commonly result in loss of one or more teeth in children . Such cases are usually rehabilitated by removable prosthesis which have to be refabricated from time to time to incorporate changes due to growth. Thus, it would be desirable to restore the dentition by means of implants in growing children. For this purpose it is important for a clinician to understand the amount and direction of the impending growth in a young child and how it is going to influence the ultimate position of the placed implant in the arch. This review paper focuses on the dilemma of when and where it could be possible to place implants for the growing child.