Appropriate age for dental implant placement

 

There are many people whose teeth are damaged. Sometimes these injuries eventually lead to the loss of one or more. If you are one of these people, you are definitely looking for a way to replace the vacancy of that tooth or teeth.

In this case, you must have heard the name of dental implant and you have heard that this method is the best replacement for lost teeth and has the most similar performance to natural teeth among other restorative methods.

These assumptions are generally true. The implant is therefore the closest option to a natural tooth, in which not only the lost tooth is replaced, but in fact the restoration work is much more fundamental and done from the root of the tooth.

In an implant, a piece called a base (fixture) that is made of titanium is placed inside the jaw and in fact the root of the same tooth. This makes the implant much better and more firmly in place, and it performs much better than methods such as dentures.

Therefore, in the implant method, both the root of the tooth and the tooth itself are replaced, which results in greater strength and prevention of unwanted movements or deviation of the replacement tooth.

There are other benefits to using implants, which can be summarized as follows:
 
1. Restore the ability to talk and chew like before
2. No need to remove or replace it for hygiene and cleaning and care
3. Having a completely natural appearance similar to other teeth
4. Prevent the deterioration of bone tissue and thus prevent aging and sagging of the face
5. High strength and stability that prevents it from moving or shaking, or falling and slipping when laughing or eating, saving or sneezing.

With all the benefits and advantages of implants, it must be said that using this restorative method may not be a good option for everyone. The biggest limitation in the use of implants is the age of the patient. People under the age of 18 are not eligible for implants.

Why are children and adolescents not a good candidate for implants?

The use of implants is an important and basic condition, and that condition is that the person who is going to use the implant, his bone growth (which includes the jaw bone) is completely done.

Normal bone growth does not occur until adolescence or even early adolescence. This is why implants are usually not recommended for people under 17 years of age.

Of course, the purpose of raising the age limit is in fact the growth of the jawbone. That is, an important factor in determining the possibility of an implant is the diagnosis of whether or not the jawbone is growing. Therefore, adolescents may be able to use this method in some situations.
The diagnosis of complete completion of jaw bone growth is made simply.

To do this, the patient who has been referred for an implant must have an x-ray (radiology) taken. Examining this image will determine if the jawbone is fully grown and ready for a procedure such as an implant.

Of course, first of all, the permission of the parents of people under 18 years of age is required, and after this permission, the next steps of diagnosis and so on will be done.

Is there an age limit for older people to have implants?

The American Dental Association has provided some interesting statistics on older people who have lost one or more teeth.

According to the association, half of American men and women over the age of 65 have lost at least one tooth.

This means that in general, it can be said that people over 65 years of age have the necessary conditions to have an implant.

The important thing is that there are no restrictions on implants. People over the age of 80 or even 90 can also use this method.

In fact, the conditions that determine whether an implant is possible for a person do not include age.

Old age does not simply eliminate the chance of implant placement, but issues and problems that usually occur at an older age may exclude a person from the range of people with the condition.

Of course, in terms of motivation, older people will usually be more inclined to have implants.

These people have usually spent several years with methods such as dentures, etc., and they are probably now willing to try a permanent, stable and reliable method.

The factor that affects the possibility of implant placement is the way the tooth is lost and in fact the events that caused this problem.

Younger people often lose their teeth during an accident, while older people lose their teeth more due to various diseases or caries.

However, the condition and possibility of implant placement is an issue that a dentist must determine.

By visiting a dentist, the necessary examinations are performed and the condition of the bone and the damage of the teeth are carefully seen, and then according to that, the possibility or impossibility of implant placement as well as the best treatment method is determined.