Osseointegrated implants in adolescents. An alternative in replacing missing teeth?

In 15 adolescents (13 years 2 months-19 years 4 months) in the late dental stage, Brånemark implants (n = 27) were chosen to replace missing teeth due to congenital absence or trauma. The patients were followed for at least 3 years, at yearly intervals, biometrically and radiographically. No fixture losses occurred. Only minor loss of bone support at the fixtures was observed, while adjacent tooth surfaces showed some loss in some cases. Infra-occlusion of the implant restorations was noticed in patients with residual craniofacial growth. Thus, the dental and skeletal maturation, and not the chronological age of the patient, must be taken into consideration to avoid infra-occlusion of the fixture crown. Furthermore, it is important to gain enough space for the fixture in the mesio-distal direction, to avoid the risk of marginal bone loss at teeth that are adjacent to it.