When it comes to tooth replacement, dental implants are your best option. They are like your natural teeth in shape, look, and function. But getting dental implants can be challenging if you are a child, teen, or young adult. This doesn’t mean that getting implants isn’t worth it, but we need to consider all the factors and move slowly to ensure you get the best results.
The effects of tooth loss in young adults on their social, emotional, and practical lives
Who you ask will tell you what the biggest worry is about losing teeth at a young age. Most likely, the person is worried about how they or look and how it will affect their social life. Parents usually worry about how much it might cost to fix their children’s smiles. On the other hand, dentists fear how this will affect the patient’s oral health in the long run. Losing a tooth can be a big deal because our mouths work as a whole. Each tooth in our mouths helps keep the other teeth in place and affects how our jaws and bites grow.
When a tooth is lost while the jaw is still growing, you need to help the jaw grow correctly. A standard solution is to use orthodontic devices that allow the mouth’s structures to thrive. As part of myofunctional therapy, oral exercises are another common way to help. When done right, these treatments can make sure the jaw grows in the right way. This growth is essential if patients want implants when their jaw stops growing.
Implants are the best choice for people of any age who can handle them. The titanium mounting post can last at least 50 years and 80 years. During this time, the crowns will have to be replaced more than once, but the mounting post will stay the same. Because younger patients are healthier and have more energy, they heal faster and have fewer problems after surgery.
You can only get dental implants once your jaw grows to its full size
When it comes to teens and kids, one of the biggest problems with dental implants is that we can’t put them in until your jaw is done growing. It’s just not worth the risk that it could stop bones from growing normally or, even worse, cause significant problems.
If you lose your teeth, you might not be able to get dental implants right away. You’ll need a removable denture or a fixed dental bridge as a short-term option while your jaw develops into its adult size.
We need to make the most of jaw growth
One of the biggest problems with losing teeth before your jaw is done growing is that you lose a vital part of the structure of your jaw that controls growth. When growing up normally, your teeth, muscles, tongue, and cheeks all work together to stimulate and maintain jaw growth. When one of these essential parts is missing, we must do something else to help the jaw grow.
In the past, orthodontics was used for this, but myofunctional therapy, which uses exercises for the rest of your body, may also play an important role. This is because it can ensure that your jaws get the stimulation they need to grow and develop appropriately so that your jaw is ready for implants.
Your implants must be done correctly
People know that dental implants can last a lifetime. But what that means for someone in their 20s is very different from what it means for someone in their 60s. When young adults get dental implants, they need to be put in the right way, have healthy restorations placed on them, and be taken care of the right way to ensure they last a lifetime. We know implants can last for 50 years, and there’s no reason to think they can’t last for 80 years or more. However, restorations may need to be replaced more than once.
Also, young people who don’t have teeth because of their genes may have gums that are thinner and harder to take care of. We need to be careful about how we do this to ensure you get good results.
Why getting dental implants when you’re young is a good idea
But getting dental implants as a young adult also has a lot of good points. First, peri-implantitis, the leading cause of dental implant failure, is less common in younger persons because of healthier mouths and less gum disease. If you have healthy bones and good bone density, you might not need a bone graft, but you might if you’ve been missing your natural teeth for a long time.
And dental implants are a much healthier way to replace missing teeth than a removable denture. And over time, the health benefits grow. Partially false teeth can damage the teeth that hold them in place and make it harder to eat a healthy, varied diet. The better your results will be if you switch from a removable denture to implants as soon as possible.
Get in touch with your dentist immediately to determine if dental implants are right for you. They will set up a time for you to come to their office for an exam and a talk. During this appointment, they will discuss the options, risks, and benefits of getting dental implants. The results are better for patients eligible for dental implants the sooner they get them. Implants can give you a healthy smile that will last for the rest of your life and look just like your natural teeth.
