Is there a right age for dental implants in Cheltenham?

If you are missing one or more teeth, your dentist may have recommended dental implants. Modern dental implants are the next best thing to natural teeth, because they can restore oral function and allow you to eat, speak and chew properly. This is particularly helpful for patients who have been struggling with dentures for many years, but does not necessarily mean that dental implants are only available for older patients.

At Cheltenham Dental Spa, we offer dental implants in Cheltenham to young and old patients alike. You must be an adult, however, or at least have all of your permanent teeth in order to benefit from this treatment. While dental implants in Cheltenham can benefit many patients, they must have a fully developed jaw by the time of the operation.

Why dental implants are not an option for children and young adults

Before someone can have dental implants in Cheltenham, they need to undergo an eligibility examination. Dental implants are dangerous when placed in developing jaws because they can halt the proper development of adult teeth. Permanent adult teeth do not appear until the late teens or even early adult years for many patients. Therefore, at Cheltenham Dental Spa we rarely encourage this procedure on very young patients. If you have gaps in your smile and you are not eligible for dental implants in Cheltenham, you can have alternative tooth-replacement options until your permanent teeth erupt.

To determine if you are eligible for dental implants, one of our talented implant dentists will take an x-ray of your jawbone. This will help them decide if it appears sufficiently developed to proceed with implant dentistry.

Dental implants have no upper age limit

Older patients, on the other hand, can have dental implants even much later in life. The biggest difference between them and younger patients is how they have come to lose their teeth in the first place. Children and young adults tend to lose their teeth during accidents, whereas older people often have missing teeth because of tooth decay and gum disease. Regardless of the reason behind your tooth loss, we encourage you to ask us more about dental implants in Cheltenham.