Prosthodontic considerations in pediatric dentistry

Tooth loss or loss of tooth structure has serious emotional, social, and psychological consequences affecting a child's nutrition, esthetics, self-confidence and self-esteem. Tooth loss is normal for primary teeth,when replaced by permanent otherwise, losing teeth in primary and permanent dentition is undesirable. Dental caries is a common cause of loss of tooth/ tooth structure. In adolescents loss of teeth may be due to periodontal disease or dental trauma. Prosthetic rehabilitation is essential to restore masticatory function, appearance and muscle function; to maintain and improve phonetics; prevent development of deleterious oral habits; and to minimize possible psychological disturbances. There are many treatment modalities available for replacing missing, damaged, diseased teeth in infants, children and adolescents. Prosthetic rehabilitation may provide several benefits to the child patient with tooth loss and dramatically increase his/her self-esteem and confidence, as well as parent satisfaction.All the prosthetic considerations for treating a pediatric patient should be kept in mind and followed for a successful outcome.