What Determines If Your Teen Can Have A Dental Implant?
It's distressing when your teen has a tooth knocked out as a result of an accident or injury. The missing tooth can affect your teen's smile and the growth of other teeth. Your dentist will probably recommend filling the gap in some way so the other teeth don't start to drift. You may wonder if your teen can have dental implants since an implant is an ideal way to replace a lost tooth. Here are a few things to know about the suitability of an implant for your teen.
The Jaw Must Be Finished Growing First
Whether your teen can get an implant comes down to if his or her jaw has finished growing. A dental service, like Oral Surgery Specialists of Austin, determines this by taking x-rays. If the jaw is fully developed, then your teen can probably go ahead and have the implant no matter what his or her age. If the jaw is still growing, then your teen will have to wait on the implant.
This is necessary because of the way the implant fuses to the bone. This fixes the implant in place, so if the jaw continues to grow, the implant moves out of alignment. Natural teeth shift and move along with bone growth because they attach to the bone with ligaments rather than being fused to the bone. If an implant is put in too early, then it might crowd other teeth and cause unintended problems as the bone continues to grow.
The Gap Can Be Filled While Your Child Waits
There's not a minimum age for dental implants since each child develops at their own pace. Your teen might have to wait a year or two before it's possible to get the implant and during that time, the gap should be filled to prevent shifting of the other teeth. If the end goal is to have a dental implant because of its advantages over other forms of replacing missing teeth, then your dentist will put in a temporary artificial tooth. This will probably be a partial denture your child can remove and brush at night. The denture has only one tooth and the gum portion is nearly invisible so it won't be obvious your teen is wearing it. A temporary tooth is preferred over having a bridge because a bridge is a permanent solution that affects the teeth next to the missing tooth.
While your teen may not be able to have a dental implant right away, it can be done at a later time when your teen's bone is ready for it. Until then, your dentist can find a way to close the gap so your child can eat, speak, and smile without being embarrassed by a missing tooth.
