Tips for Dental Implants in Old Age

Many people wonder whether they can get dental implants in old age. While you can get dental implants even in your senior years, you should know the following things about dental implant treatment in your senior years.

Evidence shows that age is not a barrier to dental implant treatment. You don't have to reassign yourself to a toothless life or opt for alternative treatments such as removable dentures just because you are old. Just listen to your dentist, adhere to their advice, and maintain impeccable oral hygiene for your dental implant treatment to succeed.

Although age alone is not a barrier to dental implant treatment, age-related problems may complicate your dental implant treatment. Older candidates for dental implants usually have a few issues to deal with that their younger counterparts don't have; here are some of those issues. Bone Deterioration As you age, you might not have the same strong bones you used to have in your younger days. The bone density decreases with age, and diseases such as osteoporosis only make matters worse. For females, menopause increases the risk of bone deterioration. All these things mean your jawbone may be less dense than it used to be when you were young. Decreased bone density is a problem because the jawbone anchors the implant (metal) that acts as the root of your teeth. Without adequate jawbone, the implant may not be strong enough to support your artificial tooth plus the loads that teeth normally have to bear. Fortunately, the dentist can graft or build up your jawbone to strengthen it before the implant treatment. Compromised Immunity Old age often comes with diseases that compromise a person's immunity. Examples of age-related diseases include arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes among others. Immunity affects the rate of healing of wounds. A compromised immunity will affect your implant's rate of healing (dental implant treatments involve minor surgery). Fortunately, you don't have to worry about implant healing if you have your health issues under control. For example, your implant will heal just fine if you have diabetes but always take your medications. Difficulties With Oral Care Some age-related issues may make oral care difficult for the elderly. For example, you may struggle to brush and floss every day if you have dexterity issues with your hands. You may also forget to floss and brush if you have a disease, such as Alzheimer's disease, that interferes with your memory. Impeccable dental care is a prerequisite for dental implant success. Without good dental care, the implant site may become infected and slow down the healing or even lead to the implant's failure. Get someone to help you take care of your oral hygiene if you can't do it on your own.

Although old age may present some difficulties with dental implants, the implant treatment may also help you solve some health complications that come with old age. Here are some examples of such complications. Tooth Loss Old age is a factor for tooth loss. Unfortunately, you are likely to lose more teeth if you have already lost some. Dental implant treatment will help you retain the teeth you already have. Poor Nutrition You may fail to chew food properly if you don't have some of your teeth. If you don't chew food properly, digestion and absorption of the food suffer, and you end up with poor nutrition. Dental implant treatments help you chew food properly and enjoy good nutrition. Jawbone Deterioration Missing teeth is one of the factors that leads to jawbone deterioration. The deterioration occurs because the jawbone doesn't get the stimuli (from teeth) it needs to regenerate. Dental implants will stimulate the jawbone and minimize its deterioration. Contact P. A. Daniel Jr., D.D.S., for a consultation if you have lost one or more teeth. Our assessment will reveal whether you are a dental implant candidate (most people are) and what you need to do for dental implant success before we begin the process.