Many of us have childhood memories of our own elderly relatives taking out their teeth every night, or memories of seeing these relatives without their dentures in and wondering what happened to their teeth. As people age, they become more prone to gum disease; while this is preventable, the fact is that people in aging populations are more likely to lose one or more teeth as they age. Thankfully, there are options available for people over 60, and these options allow them to smile, eat, and speak with the confidence they have earned. Barring any significant health concerns, people over 60 can be excellent candidates for dental implants, which support stable, attractive dental restorations like bridges and dentures, allowing their wearers to enjoy their golden years to the fullest.
Many older people have osteoporosis, which is particularly common in post-menopausal women. This disease leads to brittle bones and bone loss, and women with osteoporosis are at a higher risk for tooth loss. Some people have the misconception that osteoporosis would prevent a person from getting dental implants, but people with osteoporosis can be great candidates for dental implants! People with bone loss anywhere in their bodies, including in their jaws, may still be able to reap the many benefits of dental implants. In fact, one of the benefits of dental implants is that they allow their wearers to enjoy a more complex and complete diet and incorporate a wide variety of foods into their lives, and these nutritional improvements can actually help reduce the bone loss osteoporosis can cause.
Dental implants can be thought of as an investment, and people may be concerned about the cost of a longer-term investment later in life. Thanks to modern medical access and technology, however, life expectancies are longer now than ever before. People over 60 could have twenty years or more with which to enjoy their dental implants and the benefits they bring, improving their health and their quality of life in exchange for a few days of discomfort, a brief healing period, and some budgetary reconfiguring. Any reasonably healthy person, no matter their age, could be a good candidate for dental implants, and quality of life is very important. Without implants, you may need to make unhealthy or otherwise undesirable dietary changes, or you may need to modify your chewing style. Chewing with fewer teeth can cause other dental concerns and discomforts, and eating a limited diet is not only unhealthy, it’s also not fun!
Removable dentures tend to be less expensive than dental implants, but they are rarely the best solution. Because removable dentures rely, in part, on a framework that covers part or all of the palate, they affect the wearer’s ability to fully taste foods. Implants eliminate this concern. Implants don’t slip or make noises when their wearers eat or speak, and they are more comfortable than removable dentures. They are easy to snap in, and they require no uncomfortable or messy adhesive. You can also brush dental implants just as you’d brush natural teeth, and they don’t need to be removed and separately cleaned. Finally, while dentures need to be replaced every few years as the shape of the jaw changes, implants can last a lifetime.
Your dentist can tell you if you might be a good candidate for dental implants, but be aware that age isn’t an immediate disqualifier. Invest in your own quality of life and talk to your dentist soon if you’re interested in learning more about dental implants.