Late Implant Treatment for the Early Loss of First Mandibular Molars in Young Patients

The replacement of a single missing molar is a common procedure in implant dentistry, but also a challenging one. For an edentulous space limited by intact adjacent teeth, the implant solution is the best and should become a standard therapy even in our country. The first permanent mandibular molar is the most frequent extraction-prone tooth and its loss, usually as a result of caries and pulpal symptoms during the mixed dentition stage, can happen almost immediate after its eruption as a result of its early exposure to the oral environment. The aim of this article is to review the prosthetic consequences following early extraction of the first permanent mandibular molar and to highlight the constraints that appear in later implant treatment planning for young patients that for various reasons refuse the orthodontic treatment. Restorative and prosthetic methods for the improvement of these situations are illustrated in three clinical cases