Minimum Age or Age Restriction for Dental Implants
Given the numerous benefits of dental implants – high functionality, unrivaled durability, attractive appearance, and even improved bone health – it is understandable that such wide swaths of the population are interested in this incredible dental technology. Some who are seeking to replace teeth might also wonder if their age might prevent them from pursuing dental implants. While it might be surprising to some, given the surgical intervention required to anchor dental implants into the jaw, there is no age limit on who is a good candidate. In fact, the only limit on age as far as candidacy for dental implants goes is a lower limit: those below the ages of 18 to 20 generally cannot be considered for dental implants.
Reasons for Minimum Age for Dental Implants
While it may seem that older folks could be more at risk for complications from surgical intervention, it is the youth that is most at risk for the most negative impacts from dental implants. This is because before the age of 18 to 20, an individual hasn’t yet reached skeletal maturity. Their bones are still growing and shifting, including that of the jaw.
Because dental implants are embedded directly into the jaw, the insertion of a dental implant can stifle or even change the growth pattern of a young person’s jaw. This can create bite problems, spaces that normally wouldn’t have occurred between teeth, bone loss, and even changes to the overall facial structure.
For this reason, it is very important that a young person not have dental implants installed until they have reached skeletal maturity, which generally happens at the end of one’s teens or the beginning of one’s twenties. For patients around that age, your dentist might take X-rays to determine if this process is complete. If not, it is better to wait than to risk the long-term damage that could be done by dental implants in a growing jaw.
Alternatives to Dental Implants While Waiting
In the interim, while one is waiting for skeletal maturity to be reached, there are some temporary tooth replacement options to be considered. In the case of a few missing teeth that are close to each other, a temporary bridge can be a good option to get one through a waiting period; likewise, a partial removable denture can also provide a solution for a few missing teeth that are not proximate. In the case of a single missing tooth, a removable prosthetic, sometimes referred to as a “flipper,” can also be a good choice.
While it can be frustrating to wait for the solution that you want, the most important thing is preserve your oral health and maintain the integrity of your jaw and facial structure. There are enough temporary solutions to bridge the gap; in the meantime, time can be spent planning carefully for the dental implants that will soon provide a more permanent solution.
For more information on either dental implants or temporary solutions for teens, please call our office today for an individualized consultation.