Cantwell 2026 Memorial Lecture: Congenitally Missing Teeth in the Adolescent Patient: Contemporary Treatment for Esthetic and Functional Success
About This Event
This presentation explores current, evidence-based restorative treatment options for managing hypodontia in adolescents, with an emphasis on the congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisor (CMMLI). Attendees will gain insight into key decision-making factors influencing treatment planning and long-term outcomes, including orthodontic tooth positioning and soft tissue considerations. Treatment options discussed include dental implants, direct and indirect resin-bonded bridges, orthodontic space closure, and tooth auto-transplantation, with a focus on optimizing esthetics, function, and growth considerations unique to adolescent patients. Clinical cases will illustrate the advantages and limitations of each approach, providing a comprehensive guide to multidisciplinary care strategies aimed at achieving stable, esthetic, and functional results in this growing patient population.
Learning Objectives
- The key restorative treatment options for managing congenitally missing teeth in adolescent patients, and why dental implants should not be considered.
- The esthetic, functional, and growth-related factors that influence treatment planning and long-term outcomes in adolescent patients with hypodontia.
- Multidisciplinary strategies to develop individualized treatment plans that optimize esthetic and functional success for adolescent patients with congenitally missing teeth.
- Recognize tooth size discrepancies in patients with CMMLI
- Manage periodontal aberrations common to patients with CMMLI