Am I Too Old For Dental Implants?
Short answer: No. But read on to find out more.
Last month, one of my patients who's in his 60s - asked me this:
“Hey Dr Chin, am I too old to replace my missing teeth with dental implants?”
The question seemed to had been bothering him for some time. For context, the patient had been wearing dentures for more than 20 years. He was only looking for alternative solution as his dentures were loose.
I assured him that there's no such thing as being too old for dental implants. We spent the next hour discussing dental implants, and why I thought it would be a good treatment for him.
Modern medicine is incredible. It allows us to live a longer and healthier life.
However, as we live longer, the risk for tooth loss also increases.
While modern dentures can look like real teeth, their biggest problem is that they do not prevent bone loss.
Bone Loss After Tooth Extraction
Source: https://thepasadenatexasdentist.com
When you lose a tooth, your bone tissues start to weaken and, if left untreated, will resorb over time. This leads to all sorts of future problems, such as drifting of the neighboring teeth towards the empty space, causing improper bite and aesthetic issue when you smile.
In severe cases, jawbone loss will cause facial structure collapse, leading to patients looking much older than they do.
This is why dental implant has become the standard of care for tooth loss replacement. By integrating with the jaw bone, dental implants help to prevent bone loss. In addition, it does not move around, and function just like your own tooth.
Since dental implant requires a minor gum surgery, elderly patients are hesitant to go through with the process. They worry about the surgery's risks and wonder if it's worth it. After all, their current dentures do not require surgery.
It is true that for certain patients with systemic conditions, the implant surgery might pose certain risks.
Patients with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer and rheumatic disease, will have to be careful with the procedure. These diseases and the drugs used to treat them can affect the healing process & bone fusion after the surgery.
In general, medically stable patients have nothing to worry about. Successful implants will greatly improve oral function and comfort. Patients also report great quality of life improvement, as there's no denture to take care of.
Thus, you are encouraged to disclose your medical condition with your dentists before treatment.
After this initial discussion, my patient went ahead with the treatment. We implanted 3 teeth in total, and he's now happier than ever!
If you know a family member who is on the fence, feel free to share this article or schedule a chat with us. Our experienced dentists will be here to clarify any doubts.
Dr. Chin How Hsung
Principle partner and co-founder of Dental On The Bay. He always finds much pleasure in traveling, reading and joining a group of friends for Sunday soccer sessions.
While you are here…
Everybody wants to have good teeth, for both aesthetics and daily functions. As we grow older, teeth maintenance become more and more important. Unless you have serious medical issues, dental implant is a great treatment to prevent bone loss and other issues down the road.
Still unsure about dental implants? Schedule a chat with our dentists today and we will clarify all of your doubts.
