This paid piece is sponsored by Siouxland Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.
May is often the time of year that we, as oral surgeons, begin to receive many questions about children and their wisdom teeth or children and their dental implants. With the summer holidays fast approaching, everyone is looking to get these specialized procedures done while their kids are out of school.
Let’s start with the easy one: When is the best time to remove wisdom teeth – the third molars – in children? The straight answer is when there simply isn’t enough room for the wisdom teeth to come in without disturbing other teeth in the mouth. Usually, the primary reasons for removal are when the roots are about one-third formed, when there is recurrent infection, damage to adjacent teeth, or pathology, such as a cyst. Under these circumstances, it is very wise to extract them.
Wisdom teeth roots usually form in the third somewhere between the ages of 14 and 17 in most young people, and the only way to know for sure is with a panoramic or panoramic x-ray that your dentist or orthodontist can take. of your visits. The reason removal is recommended when the roots are about one-third or less formed is because wisdom teeth are easier to remove and the risks of complications are the least. Teeth are usually under gum tissue, or gums, and often under a layer of bone. Because oral surgeons are specialists and without a doubt receive the most certified surgical training, wisdom teeth removal usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes under sedation. So, in most cases, this is the standard of care.
As with anything, these are general guidelines. However, there are special cases when wisdom teeth must be removed at a younger or even older age. After surgery, you can expect about a week of facial swelling as well as two to three weeks of pain in the muscles you chew with. If you are an adult, the actual length of the recovery process is usually doubled.
Now let’s talk a little about dental implants for children. We usually do not recommend dental implants for children who are still growing. When it comes to oral surgery on any child, we recommend a consultation with your local oral surgeon to schedule the right time and setting to perform the surgery.
The reason why dental implants are not recommended for growing children is because significant facial growth usually continues in children until the age of 16 or 18. The facial skeleton continues to slowly grow downward and forward until you reach your 20s. In some people, it’s a lot of growth, while in others it’s minimal. So one must be very careful when placing a dental implant while the aforementioned growth is still occurring as the implant remains in the same spot in three-dimensional space while the bone grows around it.
The bone structure of the mandible and maxilla do not grow as your typical leg bones would, simply growing at the ends. Instead, they grow by adding bone in the front and removing bone in the back. The teeth are surrounded by a ligament. Therefore, they are transported with the real bone, while the dental implants are fixed in place. It is similar to that of a glacier. The teeth travel with the glacier, while the dental implants are fixed to the underlying rock and left behind. This in turn makes it quite difficult to make esthetic and functional crowns, especially for front teeth. It is very bad technique to place dental implants while the patient is in active orthodontic movement, so it should definitely be avoided.
For some children who are missing many teeth due to a genetic or developmental disorder, we place dental implants while they are growing. This is because the psychosocial benefits far outweigh having to do it all over again when they grow up. Fortunately, this situation is rare.
When the teenager has stopped growing or facial growth has slowed down so much that any further growth will be minimal, then getting dental implants in children becomes a golden option. Often, children who need implant treatment have completed braces or are at the end of their orthodontic treatment. Therefore, if you know your child is getting orthodontics and you also know they will need dental implants, we recommend that you consult with an oral surgeon before the braces are removed. This way, we can check that there is enough space for the implants before the braces come off or the Invisalign treatment is stopped
Many times, the space left after orthodontics is barely sufficient or simply not enough to place a dental implant. Therefore, it would be much better to continue with orthodontics for another period of time to allow the space to grow rather than having to undergo orthodontics again later. This in itself brings up a good point about orthodontic retainers and space maintainers. It is especially important to wear the retainer or space preserver so that one can get a dental implant later if needed. Otherwise, the space collapses and the child will have to go through orthodontics again to open the space.
A few words about Invisalign treatments. This is a good option for many people, but the movements do not control the roots of the teeth very well. Many times, the tooth crowns you envision will look great, but the actual roots will block the necessary position for the desired implant. Therefore, if you need dental implants and are undergoing Invisalign treatment, you really should schedule an oral surgery consultation so you can work with your dental team to ensure the best treatment plan. This will save you time and money in the long run.
As mentioned earlier, every case is different. It is custom work, and like any unique procedure, there are differences, risks, and benefits to all. Here we come for you.
Click here apply for the Wisdom for Wisdom program before May 19 to have your teen’s wisdom teeth removed at no cost to you.
Siouxland Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery: Oral surgery by real oral surgeons.
