Nowadays, dental implants are the most successful and effective treatment for tooth loss.
With the appropriate preparation and procedure, they have more than 98% success in restoring the lost function while providing natural aesthetics. Yet, it is a delicate procedure with multiple factors to consider.
There is no age cutoff for getting implants, however, health, age, and bone density play a crucial role. Discover how timing can increase or lower their success and when it’s too late to get dental implants.
Understanding the Timing Considerations for Dental Implants
When dealing with dental implant placement, timing is essential. Your recovery, treatment time, and final denture will depend on multiple factors, determining the best course of action.
This plan will be the first step of the process, involving different studies and considerations by your specialist.
Also, performing a dental implant procedure during or after a tooth extraction will change the healing process and your implant’s integration into your jawbone.
This integration or fixing phase is the most crucial part of the procedure, and it is called osseointegration. If osseointegration fails, the entire procedure fails.
As a result, all the professional’s efforts point to improving the osseointegration, raising the success rate of the treatment.
Factors That Impact the Timing of Dental Implants
Multiple factors can affect the timing of your dental implants. The most important are your overall health, age, and bone density.
Your overall health is an indispensable factor. Some diseases or conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune conditions, and osteoporosis, can alter your timing and require previous treatments and their respective medical solutions.
Also, patients with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and long-standing steroid treatment might need to wait months before starting the implant process.
When Delaying Dental Implants Might Be Detrimental
When you lose a tooth, your teeth change positions, try to close the gap and shift, altering your bite and creating crowding and malocclusions. Although sometimes an implant procedure might have to be postponed for multiple reasons, delaying the treatment too much can cause these oral issues.
Additionally to the shifting of your teeth, tooth loss causes a natural bone resorption. As a result, your jawbone gets weaker, thinner, and lower, complicating the surgical procedure. Thus, your dentist might need to perform a bone graft to have enough space for your new tooth.
When is it Too Late to Get Dental Implants?
Your age is also an essential factor. Younger patients show a faster and better healing response than older ones. However, modern dental technology and treatment protocols allow dentists to perform implant surgery in multiple situations.
As a result of these advances, modern dentistry can restore a missing tooth in almost every controlled patient. Therefore, there is no age limit to get a dental implant. All-on-four, a complete tooth replacement treatment, is a noticeable example of these advances.
Bone Health and Density
Bone health is another vital characteristic to consider when working with dental implants. Similarly to age-related issues, new and young jawbone usually has higher quality and density, providing a healthy bone structure to receive the implant.
Additionally, some diseases and chronic diseases can weaken the jawbones, impacting the feasibility of implants. In some cases, if the bone does not have the appropriate density, you might require additional procedures, such as graft therapy, to counter the bone loss.
Oral Health and Existing Dental Issues
Gum disease is dental implants’ worst enemy. It can reduce periodontal tissues, affect the gum jawbone, and make a challenge out of tooth replacement treatments. Likewise, tooth decay can alter your oral health, hindering the treatment.
If you have any oral condition, periodontitis particularly, you will need to address those before starting your implant placement. As a result, the clinician will have a healthy structure to work on.
Additional Considerations for Dental Implants
The most crucial step for a dental implant procedure is not the surgery but the preparation stage.
During this comprehensive examination, your dentist will determine your needs, previous treatments, existing diseases, bone density, bone loss, and overall oral health. Also, you will require some X-rays or computerized tomography.
With all this information, your dental team can create a personalized treatment plan based on your assessment. Moreover, your specialist will decide when to perform the procedure and prepare all the required protocols.
Preparing for Dental Implant Surgery
Having a dental implant surgery is similar to a tooth extraction. After the usual local anesthesia, the dentist uses specialized motors to screw the implant into your jawbone with care and detail.
The surgery follows a strict protocol and sequence to increase the success rate and guarantee osseointegration.
Finally, follow your clinician’s instructions to prevent possible surgery complications. If you have a preexisting disease or oral condition, follow your physician’s recommendations to the lyric. Remember that it is never too late to get dental implants.
After your procedure, follow the post-operative instructions and maintain excellent oral hygiene to prevent plaque formation and gum disease around your new implant.
After your procedure, follow the post-operative instructions and maintain excellent oral hygiene to prevent plaque formation and gum disease around your new implant.
