Am I the Right Age for Dental Implants? - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Am I the Right Age for Dental Implants?

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Dental implants can be truly life-changing for those elderly patients who have lived years or even decades with inferior solutions such as dentures. Suddenly they are able to eat a richer and more enjoyable diet (something they had long ago given up on), talk without feeling insecure about people seeing their dentures moving about, and most importantly, they are back to stimulating and preserving the jawbone to prevent any further bone loss. – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Am I the Right Age for Dental Implants?


1
Am I the Right Age for Dental Implants?
2
Am I the Right Age for Dental Implants?
  • Tooth decay affects people of all ages almost
    100 of adults worldwide and a staggering 76 of
    children in the UAE alone. But what happens when
    this decay leads to tooth loss? Is there a
    right treatment depending on age?
  • While there can be barriers to implants for
    younger patients, age in and of itself doesnt
    stop anyone getting them done. The determining
    factors are the overall state of health of the
    individual, the quality and quantity of
    surrounding bone in the jaw, and for younger
    patients whether their jaw bone is fully
    developed or not.
  • To be clear, then, at the higher end of the age
    scale there really is no upper limit. No matter
    how old you are, you are likely able to replace
    any missing teeth with implants. On the lower
    end, however, there can be limitations that would
    make it very inadvisable to undergo an implant
    procedure.

3
Implants And The Elderly
  • The most common replacement for missing teeth
    among the elderly are dentures, and one of the
    most common complaints I hear from my elderly
    patients concerns those dentures. While dentures
    are perhaps perceived to be a less invasive
    solution for tooth loss (as compared to
    implants), as time goes on dentures become loose,
    cause discomfort, and interfere with eating and
    speech. But the most serious disadvantage is that
    they fail to prevent further bone loss, as they
    do not stimulate the jawbone.
  • There are several reasons for the prevalence of
    dentures among elderly patients. Firstly, it is
    the traditional method and many elderly patients
    consider it the only option secondly, there is
    a common misconception that elderly patients
    dont respond well to implant procedures.

4
This could not be further from the truth.
  • In fact, we have seen many successful cases of
    implants with patients well into their eighties
    and nineties, and providing overall health is
    good seniors heal with very much the same
    predictability as younger patients.
  • Of course, as with any medical procedure, there
    are different challenges when it comes to the
    elderly. For example, many suffer from a lack of
    bone density in the jaw. But even with this
    eroding bone density, dental implants are still a
    more than viable option.
  • Dental implants can be truly life-changing for
    those elderly patients who have lived years or
    even decades with inferior solutions such as
    dentures. Suddenly they are able to eat a richer
    and more enjoyable diet (something they had long
    ago given up on), talk without feeling insecure
    about people seeing their dentures moving about,
    and most importantly, they are back to
    stimulating and preserving the jawbone to prevent
    any further bone loss.

5
Implants And The Younger Patient
  • On the other end of the spectrum, young people
    are the most likely to face restrictions when it
    comes to dental implants. To be confident of a
    successful placement, the jaw must be fully
    developed, and this is typically not the case
    until the late teenage years.
  • However, this is only a guideline, as each young
    patient develops at a different rate. For this
    reason an oral surgeon will take a number of
    X-rays (often of the wrist as well) to determine
    the level of an individuals bone development,
    and assess their suitability for surgery.
  • If the younger patient is not fully developed,
    under no circumstance should implants be placed.
    The consequences of implanting early can be
    severe, causing damage and even deformity to the
    jawbone.
  • The good news is that there is a temporary
    solution for replacing the missing tooth or teeth
    in a younger person while waiting until the jaw
    has developed sufficiently to withstand dental
    implant surgery. That option in most cases are
    single tooth or multiple teeth dentures.
  • This allows young patients to interact and
    socialize as normal in the interim, without being
    overly-sensitive about their appearance. Once the
    jaw has reached the required level of
    development, implant surgery can be performed,
    providing a longer-lasting, more comfortable and
    aesthetically pleasing solution.

6
Takeaway
  • So by now it should be clear that the question
    of age and dental implants is quite
    straightforward. For the elderly we see virtually
    no limitations as long as their overall health is
    ok, whereas with the younger patients we have the
    very matter-of-fact issue of whether their jaw is
    fully developed or not. If not, you simply have
    to wait until it is.
  • A visit with your dental specialist is all that
    is needed to determine if you are facing any
    restrictions. Whatever the outcome, just remember
    that there will always be a solution to help you
    best deal with tooth loss based on your specific
    situation. While the profession of dentistry has
    made incredible advancements over the past
    decades, the progress is hardly slowing down, and
    you can be sure that we will continue to find
    better and better solutions to address the very
    serious issue of tooth loss.
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