Minimum Age or Age Restriction for Dental Implants
We know that your natural teeth are the best thing to have in your mouth and you should try to preserve them for as long as possible. However, once a natural tooth is lost, a dental implant is often the best solution to replace it. You may have heard that there are age restrictions on dental implants, and to a certain extent, this is true. We don’t recommend them for all ages. Please read on to discover more!
What is an implant?
The implant is a prosthesis made up of a titanium or ceramic screw to be inserted into the bone of the maxilla (above) or mandible (below). It ends with an artificial crown indistinguishable from a "real" tooth. Full functionality in chewing and speaking will thus be recovered, the neighboring teeth will not move to try to occupy the empty space (and creating further imbalances in the arch), the tissues of the face will not sag, and there will not be all those inconveniences. (often embarrassing) typical of removable prostheses.
If I lose a tooth at 90, can I think about an implant?
With the increase in average lifespan, inevitably there are more and more people of advanced age who need an implant, but who often do not consider this possibility, thinking that they are not young and strong enough to face the operation. There is actually no age limit for dental implants. Successful operations have been performed on patients who were over 80 or 90 years of age. In fact, precisely in the retirement years, when the greatest amount of tooth loss inevitably occurs, implants are most useful for improving the quality of life.
The only effective limit is represented by the conditions of the bone into which the screw must be inserted; if the bone is judged capable of holding an implant firmly, there are no reasons not to proceed (net of general health conditions and any ongoing infections in the oral cavity). In this regard, it is important to always keep our bones healthy and strong by taking the right daily amount of calcium!
Dental implant for children? Better to wait!
Unlike older age, it is younger age that presents limitations. Fortunately, it is rarer for a patient to lose a tooth during childhood or adolescence, but when it happens the implant cannot be proceeded with until the skull bones have completed their development. There is no defined age for this. It can be said that it generally varies between 17 and 20 years old. In these cases, it is necessary to evaluate the situation with X-rays to understand if the bone growth has actually ended.
In Conclusion
If you have a missing tooth, it is best to replace the tooth with an implant if you are able. This not only helps strengthen and maintain the integrity of the jawbone, but they also look and function the extact same as your natural teeth. If you are concerned that you are too old for an implant; don’t be, call us today and we can discuss your options. There are some limits for those who are younger, but we can examine these cases as well. Call us today!
