Rehabilitation of Trauma Using Dental Implants

The goal of replacing missing teeth while respecting otherwise untouched tooth structure and the avoidance of crown reduction in bridge preparation make the use of dental implants an ideal option for restoring dentitions ravaged by traumatic tooth loss. Patients who suffer tooth loss resulting from traumatic injuries of the dentoalveolar complex can be divided into growing and nongrowing patients. The placement of dental implants can have deleterious effects on the growing alveolar process. The authors' philosophy is to respect growth and delay implant reconstruction until the cessation of skeletal or alveolar growth, as documented by serial lateral cephalometrics radiographs taken 6 months apart.