Minimum Age or Age Restriction for Dental Implants
For adults who are seeking to replace one or more missing natural teeth, dental implants are considered the best options. When children and adolescents lose one or more teeth, however, there are many criteria that need to be considered before determining whether dental implants are an effective treatment option. Young people may lose teeth due to trauma or congenital conditions, and dentists must carefully evaluate their oral health, the specifics of the missing tooth or teeth, the integrity of the jawbone, and the patient’s overall health. While there is not a specific age at which patients become eligible for dental implants, the patient must have reached skeletal maturity to be a good candidate. Once the jawbone is fully developed and the patient’s bones have stopped growing, the patient can be evaluated for dental implants. If dental implants are placed while the bones in the jaw are still maturing, the implants themselves can interfere with proper bone development, leading to complications that include problems with the bite, gaps in the teeth, loss of bone around the implant, and changes in the shape and appearance of the face.
For many adolescents, the bones in the jaw continue to grow until the late teens, sometimes even as late as the mid-20s. Adolescents under the age of 18 are therefore not usually considered for dental implant treatment, though this is not a hard and fast rule; if the jaw has finished growing, younger people may be eligible for dental implants. Dental professionals can determine the developmental stage of the bones in the jaw through x-rays and other assessments of growth. While waiting for dental implants may not be preferable, doing so can ensure the long-term success of the implants. Thankfully, dentists can fabricate custom dental bridges or partial removable dentures that can restore the appearance and function of the dentition while the jaw is developing. When placed in the mature, healthy jawbones of young adults, there is a low risk of implant failure and a high likelihood that the implants, with proper care, will provide their wearer with a lifetime of lifelike smiles and overall satisfaction with their teeth. Once dental implants have been placed, they help prevent the surrounding teeth from shifting, and they restore the wearers ability to chew and speak properly while appearing completely natural. When teeth are missing, the face may begin to sag, and the bones in the jaw begin to degrade; dental implants prevent both of these outcomes. They are also permanent and can be cleaned directly in the mouth, and they post no risk of slipping or falling out when the wearer laughs or sneezes. For most young adults who wear them, dental implants are well worth the wait.
Of course, there is no upper age limit for dental implants, which have provided adults of all ages with satisfying restorations and attractive smiles for years. While the patient’s overall health must be assessed, for many elderly patients, even in their 80s or 90s, dental implants can be an excellent replacement option that provides their wearers with stability, flexibility, and comfort. While the causes for lost teeth may vary greatly between younger people and older adults, dental implants can be an optimal solution for a vast range of patients.