While dental implants are the preferred option for many adult patients suffering from one or more missing teeth, the same isn’t always true for children. Kids can experience missing teeth for a number of reasons, primarily facial trauma resulting from accidents, or simple genetics — when a permanent tooth just doesn’t appear. And when tooth loss happens to your little one, you may hope that a viable replacement option can be found in dental implants. Unfortunately, it’s just not the case — but that doesn’t mean it never will be. Keep reading to learn why children are rarely good candidates for dental implants, and which other options that may suit them better until they are eligible for the treatment.
Dental implants require a fully-formed jawbone
The reason that children don’t benefit from dental implants following tooth loss is simple: in order for the procedure to be successful, the implants must be placed on a fully-formed jawbone. That’s because dental implants rely on osseointegration, or the fusing of the jawbone with the prosthetic device. Those devices placed before the jawbone is fully formed may shift out of place as the child grows older and his or her jawbone changes shape and position. And when that happens, major dental and orthodontic problems can occur as a result.
But just because your child isn’t a good candidate for dental implants right now doesn’t mean that he or she never will be. And in fact, there are ways to hold the space left by the missing tooth until dental implants are a viable option — a replacement crown can help to fill in your child’s smile in the meantime.
Whatever option is right for your child’s smile, quick replacement is necessary for a number of reasons. Some of the benefits of tooth replacement for children include:
- Restored ability to eat, speak and smile
- Better nutrition resulting from proper eating
- Healthy self-confidence from a complete smile
- The mouth continues to develop properly with all its teeth, encouraging good speech and eating habits for years to come.
Explore your options with Piney Point today
You may be disappointed to learn that dental implants are not a good option for replacing your child’s missing teeth, but the experts at Piney Point want to remind you that you shouldn’t despair — you can discuss options with the experts at our Houston office to find out what may be the best solution for replacing your child’s missing tooth (or teeth) during childhood.