More and more people are expressing interest in getting dental implants to treat tooth loss. These artificial tooth roots can support dental crowns, bridges, and dentures, allowing people to bite, chew, speak, and smile with total confidence.
The team at our Bolingbrook practice receive plenty of questions about dental implants and who is an ideal candidate for them. Since a number of these questions involve age, we wanted to go over some basics about being too young or too old for dental implants.
HOW YOUNG IS TOO YOUNG FOR DENTAL IMPLANTS?
In basic terms, minors are too young for dental implants.
Babies and toddlers should obvious not get dental implants placed since their baby teeth haven’t even come in yet. In fact, it’s a bad idea to consider dental implants until a patient has all of his or her permanent teeth in. And yet, teenagers are still growing and maturing, and their body is still undergoing many changes on the road to adulthood.
While young people may suffer from tooth loss and missing teeth, other solutions will be better suited to their needs than dental implants. These can be discussed with dentists and orthodontists as needed.
WHEN IS THE YOUNGEST A PERSON CAN GET DENTAL IMPLANTS?
As a general rule, a person can get dental implants as soon as they reach adulthood. This is vaguely worded for a reason: it’s important that the patient’s jawbone has fully matured and will not experience any changes related to their age.
In many cases, people do not get dental implants placed until their 20s at the earliest. The majority of patients tend to be much older, typically middle-aged and onward. That’s a good segue into our next age-related topic, actually.
CAN YOU BE TOO OLD FOR DENTAL IMPLANTS?
Technically, no.
A number of people who get dental implants placed are in their 60s, 70s, and even their 80s. These patients report excellent results with their dental implants, which are able to support full dentures with the stability of natural tooth roots. That means a very low risk of slipping out when biting, chewing, or speaking.
But keep in mind that this is only technically true.
AGE-RELATED HEALTH ISSUES THAT CAN AFFECT CANDIDACY
Even though people can technically get dental implants late in life, a variety of health issues and practical matters may affect candidacy. For one, patients of advanced age may not be able to undergo oral surgery without a significant risk to health. In these cases, dental implants would be a poor option.
In addition, long-term tooth loss can lead to gum recession and loss of bone density along the jaw. This means additional surgeries will be required to increased the density of the jawbone and gum tissue before the oral surgery to place the dental implants. This extended treatment time, added cost, and need for multiple surgeries may diminish the appeal of implant dentistry.
TAILORING TREATMENTS TO MEET YOUR NEEDS
Since age and a variety of other factors can play a role in candidacy for dental implants, we always work to ensure each treatment is tailored to the needs of the patient. This carefully customized approach to care is a fine way of improving the results of even the most complicated dental therapies and treatments.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS
For more information about dental implants and how they can help you smile with renewed confidence, be sure to contact our advanced oral surgery center today. We will work with you to improve and enhance the overall health and beauty of your smile.