If you think you might be too old – or even too young – for dental implants, talk to your periodontist. There are no age limits for dental implants, although you have to be in generally good health. They’re also not usually recommended for younger children who haven’t finished their growth or who do not yet have permanent teeth.
Am I Too Old for Dental Implants?
If you are older, you don’t have to worry about an age limit for dental implants. Your implant dentist will evaluate your health, the strength of your jawbone, and take into consideration any issues that could affect your healing before determining the best course of treatment. This could include traditional implants, with a single implant for each individual tooth, or a set of implants used to anchor a removable denture. Your periodontist will discuss any preliminary treatment that might be necessary to prepare your mouth or jaw for implants.
In some cases, implants might not work well for you regardless of your age. Some issues that could interfere with healing after implant treatment include:
- Certain drugs used to treat osteoporosis
- Diabetes
- Immune disorders
- Gum disease
Talk to your periodontist about these issues to see if they can be dealt with in the course of your implant treatment.
Am I Too Young for Dental Implants?
Because dental implants are placed directly into the jawbone, your dentist or periodontist will probably recommend that you wait until your growth is finished before you consider implants. The bone bonds to the implant, so if your jaw grows after the implant is place, the implant can move out of position. Once jawbone growth is completed, however, the implant can be set into place without worrying that it will move and shift other teeth or cause any long-term problems.
In some cases, though, an orthodontist will need to have an implant placed as part of an overall treatment plan. This implant might be used, for instance, to replace a lost tooth that’s needed to anchor braces. In this case, you will work closely with your dentist, periodontist, and orthodontist to plan for the placement of the implant and your long-term orthodontic care.
To schedule a consultation with our team, call us at BC Perio today.
