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How Young Is Too Young For Dental Implants?

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If you want a perfect smile, but you are missing one or more of your natural teeth, you may have considered the use of dental implants. Unfortunately, not everyone can get them when they first want them. Specifically, young adults cannot get them until their jaw is completely done growing. That is because dental implants require a strong jaw with adequate strength to support their weight and use. If you are the parent of a teenager or young adult who is interested in getting dental implants, the following information will be very helpful.

Why Is Age A Concern?

It is important for your daughter to be at her full adult height when she gets a dental implant. That is due to the fact that if her jawbone is still growing, there could be a problem when the jawbones changes size and the implant remains in its position. As a result, the dentist may require additional testing before scheduling the surgery.

When Can Young Women Get A Dental Implant?

If your daughter had her first period at least two years ago, she may be old enough to get a dental implant. That is because most girls quit growing within two years of starting their menstrual cycle. It is important to point out that the aforementioned fact is an estimate and therefore not guaranteed to be accurate for every girl. Alternatively, a complete medical history and a comparison of your daughter's height to both of her parents, grandparents, etc. can often establish that she is a good candidate for dental implants.

A good rule of thumb that many dentists adhere to is that young women are at their full height by their 18th birthday. There is no set way for every dentist to verify that their younger patients are done growing, so you may want to ask what method your dentist prefers.

When Can Young Men Get A Dental Implant?

Young men can also find that it is challenging to get dental implants because of the vast difference in growth patterns from one male to another. For instance, some teenagers find that they never grow another inch after the ninth grade, while there have been occasional reports of healthy young men having a final growth spurt after their 23rd birthday. The dentist may need to get medical records from your child's health-care provider or get x-rays of his bones in order to verify that he is no longer growing.

Many dentists believe that most young men have experienced their final growth by their 21st birthday. As mentioned before, that is only approximate and you should expect your child's dentist to verify the lack of future expected growth before scheduling the procedure.

In conclusion, dental implants can be life-changing for many dental patients who are missing one or more teeth. There is no absolute minimum or maximum age limit for getting dental implants. However, there are many people who will need to finish growing or undergo some reconstructive work before they will be able to begin the work associated with dental implants.


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