Is there a minimum age before a dental implant procedure can be performed? out 14 year old son lost an eye tooth during a camping accident with some family friends, and they were not able to get to a dentist until it was too late to save the tooth. he rea

18 : 18 is an average. An oral surgeon can give a better answer to this particular case because he/she can take the radiographs needed to check a growth center in the skull. Orthodontist can do it, but the oral surgeon would be the dr to place the implant. Best to consult with an oral surgeon.

When growth stops: The short answer is yes! there is s minimum age, and it may be as early as eighteen, but i can not tell you the number. What determines the suitability of a young patient for implant placement in the mouth is time when they reach the end of their growth spurts. Girls are usually a little earlier that boys. We used to talk a lot about taking x-rays of the wrists and making a determination about when the growth centers fuse, (epiphyseal fusion), but a more accurate determinant now is the lateral cephalogram. On of these x-rays taken at a time when your son's shoe size stop increasing, and then another 4 - 6 months later, and if superimposition show s complete overlap and now growth he will then be ready for the implant phase of treatment. Now in the mean time you want to maintain that space where the tooth is missing. I recommend either a removable partial flipper for a just a few years , or if the relationship between the upper and lower teeth permits you could bond a false tooth between the teeth on either side of the space. I hope this helps dr neil mcleod dds dentistry that lasts - quality that counts.

That's : That's an excellent question, and one that i dont think that there is a definitive answer to. He is most likely in what is called the mixed dentition stage. He may have lost all of his baby teeth, but his permanent teeth are not completely in place. If he need orthodontics, it may be beneficial to maintain and possibly use the space that remains from the lost eye tooth. Chances are, the best thing to do is to wait until his mouth is in a more mature stage. Implants, unlike natural teeth are unmovable in the jaw. They are almost literally, set in stone. That can be a problem for a teenager who is growing and whose remaining teeth are still moving around, and may need to be guided orthodontically into their permanent positions. As far as from a medical/ biological standpoint, i dont see any reason why the implant could not be placed, but from an overall growth and final result standpoint it is probably better that he wait until he is older. I would recommend that you consult with an orthodontist and an oral surgeon to help make this important decision. There are ways to fill in the gap in his smile in the interim.

Dental implant: Implant is best placed when jawbone has reached its maturity in terms of growth. There is no magic age at which everyone stops growing. However, as we approach late teens the growth slows down considerably at which time implant can be placed. If an implant is placed during the growth phase jaw and teeth grow to new positions but implant stays where it had been placed and creates esthetic challenge.

Yes: Jawbone growth should be complete before dental implant placement. For girls, this may be age 17, for boys, age 19. Growth completion is best determined by evaluating an xray of the growth plates in your child's wrist.

Yes. : There are minimum ages because children still continue to grow. Orthodontist are the best people to ask to see if you are done growing. If an implant is placed before you sure done growing the jaw continues to grow. The implant will not move and therefore will not be in the same alignment as the teeth once growing is complete.

Jaw growth: Many surgeons will wait until bones including the jaw bones have stopped growing. For your son this will be in a couple of years. In the interim there are temporary replacement options that can be discussed with your dentist. He/she will also consult with their surgeon who will indicated when it is appropriate to place a dental implant (the best option for your son).

Once growth ceases: Dentists will wait until all growth has ceased before placing implant. Once growth has ceased implant and crown can be done. I have seen many college age males who are still growing. Best dentist to track growth is orthodontist with methods outlined in other answers here. Might also be possible to move other teeth into eye-tooth space, again consult w orthodontist.

When done growing: Because boys will mature skeletally at a later age than girls, it is necessary to wait until he is done growing. He is much too young to consider a dental implant at this time. A temporary removable or fixed prosthesis to maintain the space is indicated for now. When he hasn't grown in height in 6 months, he would generally be considered to have stopped growing and can have a dental implant.

14 is to Young: In nearly all cases, dental implants should be placed after a young person has reached young adulthood, with age 18 as a basic earmark. While 4 years may seem like an eternity for a socially conscious and active 14 year old, there are numerous ways to maintain that space and their esthetics as well! there may also be the need to prepare the site for implant placement with hard & soft tissue grafts.

Maturity: It is recommended that you wait until the child has stopped growing before an implant is placed. But I have seen success with implants placed in patients as young as 12.

See specialists: See oral surgeon-bone graft may be advised for the site. See orthodontist -- need to preserve the space until growth is completed. See prosthodontist-to plan future restoration. Important not to flatten out the tissue with a 'flipper'removable prosthesis as a replacement tooth. If one is used, be sure that the tissue is properly supported and the tooth is shaped to create an 'ovate pontic' effect.

Concerns: The upper canine has the longest root in the mouth and is the cornerstone.That had to be a major blow to avulse this particular tooth, even on a 14 year old. My main concern would the surrounding bone and the adjacent teeth. The teeth on either side need to be evaluated for nerve damage. An evaluation needs to be performed to see if you son's arch has finished growing. Tough break. Hope he is ok.

Still growing: The eye tooth is a very important tooth for both function and appearance. For optimal predictability, implant dentists tend to want to wait until young people finish their growing. The age will varies greatly for boys, maybe 19-23. Completing growth can be confirmed by a wrist x-ray but is also associated with when shoe sizes stop increasing. Best to wait for an optimal cosmetic result.