If you are age 70 or older, you may wonder if dental implants are safe or worth it for someone your age. The answer is that there is no upper limit to how old a person can be and still benefit from dental implants. If you are missing teeth, dental implants are likely the best solution whether you’re 27 or 77.
If you have missing teeth and are interested in dental implants, no matter your age, call Dr. Jorge Paez today at 702-737-3553 to schedule your free initial consultation. We will be happy to examine your teeth and jaw to let you know if you would benefit from this treatment.
Dental Implant Considerations for Older Patients
Dental implants are placed successfully in many older patients, even patients in their 90s in some cases. Age itself is not a limitation when considering implants. However, older patients may have health concerns which may need to be addressed before having implants placed. These can include:
- Uncontrolled diabetes or other chronic medical condition
- Gum disease
- Low bone mass in the jaw
In addition, sometimes elderly patients take medications that may cause oral health side effects. Be sure to discuss any health concerns you have with Dr. Paez during your consultation to make sure you are clear to proceed with dental implants. If you have an uncontrolled medical condition or gum disease, you may need to get it under control before being cleared for implants.
Low bone mass is not necessarily a contraindication to dental implants. In many cases, a bone graft may be performed in order to increase your bone density to the proper levels. Discuss this with Dr. Paez to see if you are a candidate for this procedure.
Benefits of Dental Implants in the Elderly
Dental implants can be particularly beneficial to elderly patients who are currently using adhesive dentures. These dentures are often uncomfortable and can cause gum irritation, plus they may interfere with your ability to eat certain types of foods and speak comfortably.
Implant-supported dentures are much more secure and stable, and cause less gum irritation since they don’t rub as much. These dentures are attached securely to implants, giving you back your bite power and allowing you to speak, eat, drink, and blow out candles comfortably and confidently.
Major benefits of dental implants include:
- Secure
- Comfortable
- Keep jaw structure intact
- Ability to eat more foods, including hard foods like apples
- No risk of dentures falling out at inopportune moments
If you have fairly recently lost all of your teeth, dental implants can play an important role in preventing jaw collapse. Dental implants replace the tooth root, which is a vital part of your jaw structure. Without the tooth root, the jaw begins to lose bone, which in turn leads to the collapsed jaw look often found in elderly denture wearers.
Schedule Your Dental Implants Consultation
It’s never too late to make the switch to dental implants. Call Dr. Paez today at 702-737-3553 to schedule your free dental implants consultation.
We serve patients in greater Las Vegas, including Summerlin and Spring Valley.