Dental implants are a great permanent solution for adults who have damaged teeth or missing permanent teeth. While dental implants provide positive solutions for adults, it has been concluded that children are NOT good candidates for dental implants, and here’s why.
Bone Growth Factors
Dental implants can only be placed after the jaw has finished growing. If a dental implant is placed before a child or adolescent’s jaw has finished growing then it can hinder jaw growth and stop other teeth from growing into their natural positions.
An implant placed into a growing jaw could negatively affect the craniofacial structure as it develops. Implants could actually fuse to the bone leading to misalignment of other permanent teeth. Furthermore, young patients may not have the stamina or tolerance to endure the dental implant process and would most likely require anesthesia.
In addition, a child may also display limited cooperation in maintaining oral hygiene which would negatively impact long term success of a dental implant.
Alternatives to Dental Implants for Children
Since you already know that children are not good candidates for dental implants, the best option for permanent missing teeth for children is a transitional partial denture. In a nutshell, the transitional partial denture is an appliance supported by existed teeth that has a false tooth to replace the missing tooth.
Generally most oral surgeons or dental specialists will reevaluate a patient between ages 14 to 17 to asses if their bone growth is 100% finished. During that time, a patient who lost a tooth earlier in life can then explore the option of dental implants.
Contact Dr. Davis at Davis Oral Surgery
To learn about the options to replace a missing tooth in a child, contact Davis Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Center located in Raleigh, NC. Dr. Davis can provide you with a free consultation regarding next steps for fixing your child’s missing permanent teeth.