Timing of implant placement after traumatic dental injury.

Abstract

Dental implants are reliable to replace teeth lost because of traumatic dental injury. However, dental implants behave like ankylosed teeth and should not be placed in growing individuals because of the risk of infraposition. This risk may be reduced by ensuring arrested skeletal growth and ideal incisal support. The timing of implant placement may be immediate, early, conventional, or late and is determined by the extent of the trauma, remaining growth, and conditions of the hard and soft tissues. Timing should allow an observation period to properly evaluate the prognosis of concomitantly traumatized neighboring teeth. Orthodontic alignment is often necessary after traumatic dental injury in young individuals to provide symmetric dental conditions around the facial midline, to allow implant placement in the correct 3-dimensional position for the later prosthetic reconstruction, and to ensure sufficient mesiodistal space that leaves a minimum of 1.5mm of healthy alveolar bone between the future implant and neighboring teeth. Space and stable occlusion should be maintained by bonded retainers and a splint used during the night. A partial prosthesis is usually recommended as a temporary replacement. If a fixed provisional prosthesis is required, it is crucial that it does not interfere with the remaining growth and incisal support and allows proper oral hygiene.