Hypodontia - New York Area

When treating cases of hypodontia in the New York Area, it is important not to prematurely place implants. Since most patients with hypodontia are children, we will need to wait to replace the teeth until their jawbone has stopped growing. For dental implants to be successful in replacing teeth and looking natural, the jawbone and surrounding teeth need to be fully developed; we don’t advise dental implants for adolescents. Waiting until the bone is fully developed ensures that as the bone grows, the implant isn’t misplaced. In order to ensure the long-term success of the implant, we wait until patients are at least 18 years old and commonly 21 years old for extra precautions. Prior to implants, we will work closely with your orthodontist to have spacers placed in the mouth. Keeping a space open where a natural tooth should be ensures the teeth surrounding the gap do not shift out of place. This also ensures that an appropriately sized space is reserved for a functional and natural-looking dental implant in the future.