No One Is Too Old For Implants
For some of you in the elderly group category, you might want to ask if dental implants can work for you as it does with the younger set of adults. Fortunately, dental implants are just as effective and long-lasting in older age. A lot of dentists’ experience and clinical studies say so. Learn more here.
Some experts say that if you are over age 60, you may want to consider the risks of implants. According to a 2020 published study, older persons have a slower healing time from a surgical procedure, such as implant surgery. They also have other preexisting conditions that may be affected, like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. As such, the elderly may have compromised bone health from the procedure. Nonetheless, as an elderly, discuss options with your surgeon if you’re concerned about any of these risks prior to getting dental implants.
Due to the support of this growing trend of dental implant placement in older adults, a retrospective study reported the five-year implant survival rate in elderly patients was 99.0% and the 10-year cumulative survival rate was 98.1%. Clearly, this demonstrates that dental implants work well in this population.
There is also another study where patients between 66 and 93 years of age, who received implants had excellent implant survival rates, low periodontal disease index scores, minimal changes in interproximal bone health, and outstanding quality of life scores. Additionally, they suggest this cohort can be maintained in good oral health. The study also showed that implants proved to work well in elderly people or patients with reduced bone density and heal with the same predictability as those in younger groups. In many cases implants, rather than dentures, are the treatment of choice for the senior ones.
The take-away here is that dental implants improve the quality of life for many older patients by enabling better and quality nutritional intake and encouraging a more active social lifestyle.
Moreover, depending on the professional provider’s training, skill and confidence, older patients with many medical conditions can take advantage of recent advances in oral healthcare, like implants. With the appropriate patient and proper treatment planning, adults in their 90s can still benefit from implant therapy.
SourceDental Implants For Seniors in Federal Way
We take very special care of our senior patients who we feel are great candidates for dental implants. If you are considering implants, rest assured of a safe and pleasant implant journey with us at West Campus Dental Center.
