Missing Incisors: How To Use Orthodontics and Mini Dental Implants for the Restoration of the Central Maxillary Incisor in Young Adolescent Patients

Often the pediatric and general dentist are faced with an adolescent that is missing an incisor in his or her dentition. One of the most common missing teeth is the permanent maxillary lateral incisor.¹ Occasionally, the missing tooth is a central incisor. The absence of the central incisors is often due to trauma. Isolated hypodontia does not represent a serious health problem, but it may cause masticatory and speech dysfunction as well as esthetic problems.²

Many times, the parents will ask how the missing tooth will be replaced. It is up to the dentist to create treatment options for patients and their parents to choose from. This article will describe an approach that the authors are using for these situations and the reasoning for implementing the use of Mini Dental Implants (MDI) in young adolescent patients.