Implants and the Adult Orthodontic Patient Dr. Ward Smalley Summary by: Dorothy Whalen The use of implants as anchorage for the correction of malocclusion in partially edentulous patients Prosthetic considerations: Implants are used to replace missing teeth Appropriate spaces for the missing teeth must be established Existing teeth must be in the correct position Implants must be in the proper position with the correct orientation Anchorage considerations: Lack of adequate tooth born anchorage Need for posterior support Movement of teeth not possible without additional anchorage Lack of patient cooperation Implant Anchorage: The implant location and orientation are key to success. I.A. is useful to augment existing tooth borne anchorage. The first step is to determine if the malocclusion is correctable with existing anchorage. If not, will implants facilitate correction of the malocclusion? Implants should be placed at the completion of growth. Use serial cephs to determine if growth is complete. The set-up starts with the maxillary midline. It is essential that the implants are in the proper positions with the correct orientation