title: Dental implants are a viable alternative for compensating oligodontia in adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To clinically and radiographically evaluate dental implant treatment in adolescents with extensive oligodontia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with more than nine permanent teeth congenitally missing and implant treatment before the age of 16 years were included. Clinical follow-ups involved bleeding on probing, plaque index and peri-implant probing value. The peri-implant bone level was analysed on panoramic radiographs at time of implant treatment and at follow-up. Characteristics of the dental implants and patients were retrieved.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study involved 18 patients (nine males, nine females) having 71 dental implants. The lower left premolar was predominantly missing. The mean age at the time of dental implant treatment was 12.5 (± 2.6) years. The bleeding on probing value was determined negative on 44%. The mean pocket depth was 3.6 (± 1.1) mm. The peri-implant bone level correlated significantly negative with the age at time of implant placement (r = -0.346, P = 0.004). The region of implant habits had no influence on peri-implant bone level. Dental implant treatment in adolescents resulted in a survival rate of 89% (63/71) and a mean loading time of 11.0 (± 4.1) years. The implant crowns to be renewed resulted in 54% (9 of 18 patients, 38 of 71 crowns) after a period of 7.8 ± 4.5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dental implant treatment in maturing adolescents with extensive oligodontia before is supported by the data of the present study. Providing that other treatment options are considered, the areas of skeletal growth are respected and the patients are well informed. To enhance quality of life of growing children with oligodontia clinicians are asked to evaluate their long-term outcome on dental implant treatment in adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Bernhard Gottlieb School of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heuberer
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Bernhard Gottlieb School of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dvorak
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Bernhard Gottlieb School of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.|Department of Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.affiliation: Academy of Oral Implantology, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Watzek
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Bernhard Gottlieb School of Dentistry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zechner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000848:Anodontia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D015921:Dental Implants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants
keywords: children; growth; young dentition