Two-year Follow-up of a Patient with Oligodontia Treated with Implant- and Tooth-Supported Fixed Partial Dentures: A Case Report

Dental implants have become an accepted treatment modality for aging patients with either completely or partially edentulous arches. However, growing patients with congenitally missing primary and/or permanent teeth often need dental implant treatment, even before puberty, for optimum functional and/or psychosocial development. From a developmental perspective, dental implants cannot accompany the physiologic differentiation of the alveolar bone because of the difference in anchorage between an osseointegrated dental implant and a tooth in bone. Nevertheless, reports in the literature suggest that dental implants can be used successfully in partially and completely edentulous arches affected by congenital disorders such as ectodermal dysplasia. In this case report, a multidisciplinary team approach, which included an orthodontist, an oral surgeon, and prosthodontists, in the treatment of a patient with oligodontia is discussed. The orthodontic and prosthodontic treatment sequence, growth analysis from age 14 to 18 years, and successful therapy of an implant associated with late failure is presented.