Adolescents make good candidates for dental implants, due to their age and the fact that other replacement methods may not be advantageous. Dental implants are a long lasting solution to replace missing teeth, containing two parts: a titanium screw that should be integrated in the natural bone and a dental crown that is placed on the screw. If the bone is not sufficient or not strong enough, a bone augmentation procedure may also be performed for adolescents.
Replacement Options for Missing Teeth
Missing teeth can be replaced with dentures, dental implants or dental bridges.
Adolescents may reject the idea of dentures, as these may be associated with the old age; dental bridges may also be a replacement solution, but this is not recommended as the bridges will require some alterations to be made on the anchoring teeth that are in front and behind of the gap and these alterations can make these teeth vulnerable and prone to decay.
The Suitable Age for Dental Implants
Adolescents shouldn’t get implants before the age of 16, as their body goes through a number of hormonal changes that can make the gums fragile and the implant screw may not be properly integrated in the bone.
The dental implant procedure may be delayed as much as 2 years, without causing major damage to the rest of the teeth or to the facial bone structure.
