Minimum Age or Age Restriction for Dental Implants
Increasing in their popularity, dental implants are often a preferable solution to replacing missing teeth because they look, feel, and function more like natural teeth. This is due to several reasons. First, dental implants are designed to replace both the missing tooth roots and tooth itself. The small titanium implant serves as a new tooth root and because it is placed directly in the jawbone, provides a more secure restoration than dentures. Other benefits of dental implants include:
- Prevents teeth from shifting out of place
- Restores speaking and chewing abilities
- Do not have to be removed for cleaning
- Look more natural than other restorations
- Prevents sagging of the facial features
- No risk of embarrassing mishaps such as the teeth falling out when talking, laughing, eating or sneezing
Given the benefits, people often find dental implants to be a superior treatment option but unfortunately, not everyone is a candidate for the procedure. Read on to learn more about how age affects who is a candidate for the procedure.
Why People Under Age 18 Are Not Ideal Dental Implant Candidates
One prerequisite for placing dental implants is that the patient has a fully developed jaw. Generally, jawbone development does not finish until late teenage years or early adulthood. While not an absolute, this generally means that patients under 18 are not suitable for a dental implant procedure. If dental implants are placed before the jawbone fully matures, the devices can inhibit further jawbone development. This can also compromise the implant’s durability and could lead to possible complications such as bite problems, spaces between teeth, bone loss around the implant, and aesthetic changes to facial symmetry.
In determining whether a teenager is ready for a dental implant procedure, dentists will take X-rays of the patient’s jawbone to evaluate how well it has developed. Should the jawbone be sufficiently developed, the patient can proceed with implant surgery. If the patient is under 18, parental permission will be obtained. If additional time is needed to allow the jawbone to fully develop, interim solutions like dental bridges or partial dentures can be used to restore appearance and functionality.
Is There a Maximum Age Limit for Dental Implants?
Figures from the American Dental Association show that of men and women over 65 years of age, half are missing at least one tooth. Fortunately, they are ideal dental implant candidates even into their 80s and 90s as age is not a prohibitive factor when evaluating the treatment. Given this fact, seniors with missing teeth or who have worn removable dentures for years, may be ready for a permanent, non-removable implant restoration.
While advanced age does not factor into a person’s candidacy for dental implants, certain underlying health conditions do. Conditions like cancer, diabetes, or periodontal disease may prevent someone from getting dental implants. And in some instances, a patient could lack sufficient jawbone, even when fully developed, needed to support an implant. When this occurs, additional procedures, such as a bone graft, may be needed in order qualify the patient for the implant procedure.