Recommended Minimum Age for Getting Dental Implants

Dental implants are a great alternative to bridges and dentures because they fuse with the bone in your jaw and provide a strong foundation for teeth to attach to. This way, teeth can stay permanently in your mouth or even serve as removable replacement teeth that match your natural teeth perfectly. Nearby teeth do not have to be altered in any way, and this also makes dental hygiene much easier because implants make it easy to get in between teeth.

When you have fixed immovable teeth in your mouth, it helps you to speak better and makes it easier to chew your food. Now many of your favorite foods will be available to you again because you will be able to eat confidently and without pain. With proper care, implants usually last a lifetime, but this leaves some people with the question of whether there is an ideal age for getting implants.

Ages 17 to 99

You can receive dental implants at just about any age. If you are young, the only concern is whether your jawbone has matured enough. For most people, their jawbone reaches maturity between the ages of 17 and 20, but implants may be possible even before then. Your general dentistry office would need to look at your x-rays and consider your bone density and overall oral health before determining if you are a candidate.

Another more common concern people have is that they may be too old to receive implants, and while most patients receive them in their late 50s to early 70s, some people are receiving them into their 80s and 90s. At any age, you would need to have a full evaluation with a dentist. A dentist would also want to meet with you for a consultation where they would talk to you about your oral and medical health and answer any questions you may have.

Since you are rarely too young or too old to receive dental implants, there really is no ideal age. If you are found by a dentist to be a good candidate, this procedure would be a safe and effective way to have fully effective teeth that feel like your own and allow you to live your life as though they were naturally yours.

What you can expect

Dental implant surgery is usually performed in outpatient and in stages. There needs to be some time allowed for healing because some damaged teeth may need to be removed, and once the implants are placed in the jaw, there will need to be some natural bone growth around them. When the jawbone grows around the implant, it is called osseointegration.

This entire process can take several months from start to finish because of the time that will need to be devoted to healing and waiting for your jaw to grow new bone. The procedure performed and the materials used will depend on your situation. During this process, you would want to talk with your doctor and discuss the best procedure and the best materials that will work for you.

Request an appointment here: https://www.longgrovedental.com or call Long Grove Dental at (847) 636-5020 for an appointment in our Long Grove office.

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