Never Too Old For The Benefits Of Dental Implants!

Posted on Sep 17, 2014 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

It’s not unusual for our office to place Dental Implants in patients who are in the 80’s or 90’s. Older adults have a similar success rate with implants compared with younger people, which is very high. As long as a patient’s gum tissue is at a healthy level prior to placement, they’re never too old to enjoy the benefits of Dental Implants.

Regardless of one’s age, Dental Implants continually achieve their designed goals of recreating the presence of tooth roots and restoring one’s ability to bite, chew, eat, laugh, and speak confidently and comfortably. And, unlike crown-&-bridge combinations, Implants do not compromise the health of adjacent teeth. As a matter of fact, their ability to preserve a healthy jaw bone structure and support proper alignment of neighboring teeth enhances the life of surrounding natural teeth.

If you are an adult age 65 and older, you are in a rapidly growing age group in the United States. In 1900, only 4% of the population were age 65 and older. In 1990, this had jumped to 12.6%. By 2030, the projected numbers of Americans aged 65 and older is expected to be nearly 22% of the population.

Older adults are also going to the dentist more than at any time in history. In 1983, the average number of yearly dental visits per older adult was 1.5, the lowest for any reported age group. However, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reported that between 1983 – 1989, there was a 30% increase by those aged 65 and older who were seeing the dentist on a regular basis. This likely has much to do with the drop in total edentulism (having no natural teeth) for aging adults. According to the National Institute for Dental Research, there was a decrease of elderly adults who are missing all their natural teeth from 60% in 1957 to about 41% in 1986.

A Periodontist is the ideal member of your implant team. Periodontal Specialists have special knowledge, training and facilities for Dental Implant placement. A Periodontal Specialist is also adept in working with general dentists for an ideal overall result in function and appearance.

For more information on Dental Implants or to discuss your concerns, ask for a Consultation appointment by calling (828) 274-9440.