Modern dentistry makes it possible to maintain a high quality of life until old age, and it is the elderly, whose teeth, for obvious reasons, have undergone increased wear, who most often apply for implants. However, such treatment has nuances, since implants can theoretically take root worse, and people of advanced age often have weakened immunity.
To dispel the myths and speculation, a group of scientists from the UK and Switzerland studied the success of transplantation in patients aged 75 years and older. Briefly, the results of the research are as follows.
Too obvious relationship between age and the rate of bone formation has not been identified. Even for people of a very respectable age, it makes sense to go to the dentist – all other things being equal, such a patient will receive a result comparable to the result for a much younger person.
Cardiovascular diseases of all types, including stroke, hypertension and coronary heart disease, do not fundamentally affect survival.
Patients with diabetes can hope for a successful transplant outcome.
Chemotherapy is not a hard contraindication, however, radiation therapy given to areas of the body near the teeth may reduce the chances of a successful completion of the procedure.
Diseases of the internal organs usually do not affect the success of implant procedures.
And the general conclusion: you can count on dental implantation at any age – even over 75!
Features of bone tissue
If a person for a long time managed both without his own teeth and without implants, his jawbone begins to atrophy. This happens because the chewing load is not transferred to it – the body considers the tissue useless and begins to save on its formation.
The installation of implants returns such a load – that is, it makes the body understand that it still needs the bone. At the same time, even a very elderly person, whose dentition looks plausibly neat, seems to be significantly younger than his age – therefore, the aesthetic aspect of implantology is added.
The difficulty lies in the fact that already atrophied bone must be increased, and this is not always done easily and quickly. The procedure involves some restrictions and can be traumatic.
Possibilities of minimally invasive implantation
Considering that the elderly body recovers more slowly after the intervention, dentists are interested in the need not to resort to harsh methods of treatment, preferring sparing analogues. Now dentists are able to do without bone augmentation, and they can also install implants in a small amount (less than the lost teeth). Correctly chosen treatment tactics help to solve the problem with jaw bone atrophy too.
Another tactic is for a person who has lost all his teeth to restore the dentition in the amount of 24 units instead of 32. This is enough for a beautiful smile and basic chewing needs. Wisdom teeth and adjacent teeth are not restored with this approach.
The technique of installing so-called thin implants is also in demand. The diameter of a non-separable screw can be less than 3 millimeters, but those are considered quite difficult to manufacture and are not yet popular. But Straumann implants are successful – they are slightly thicker, 3.3 millimeters in diameter and are collapsible, so they are easier to install.
The mentioned company produces implants under the Roxolid brand from a titanium-zirconium alloy – they take root as well as pure titanium ones, but have a high percentage of survival. The technology allows four out of five patients to do without bone augmentation, or complete the procedure in one stage, without a long wait for the restoration of dentition functions.
How does diabetes affect?
This disease interferes with implantation in the sense that it inhibits the healing of wounds in the body. Diabetics are not prohibited from implantation a priori, but the risk is slightly increased. It is evaluated by the hemoglobin index, and doctors are interested in its average level over the past three months.
If the described indicator did not exceed 6, then the patient’s condition can be called normal, values between 6 and 8 are considered acceptable. If the patient’s hemoglobin index exceeded 8, he is offered to focus more on normalizing this indicator, and only then return to the issue of transplantation.
How does osteoporosis affect?
The essence of osteoporosis is to reduce bone density – that is, it further weakens the already weakened jaw. If the patient has been without their own teeth for a long time, in combination with osteoporosis, tissue atrophy can become a huge problem. A history of osteoporosis greatly increases the likely need for bone augmentation prior to implantation.
Fortunately, osteoporosis is also treated with biophosphonate drugs. However, another six months after the completion of their intake, surgical intervention is highly undesirable due to possible complications.