Question: I am a senior and have been interested in fixing my mouth with dental implants. I am concerned that I am too old for this. Do they work for people in their seventies?
Donald G.
Rochester Hills, Michigan
Answer: I recently came across an article in a journal article of “Implant Dentistry” on a Study of 47 cases for dental implants in Geriatric patients by Grant and Kraut DDS. This journal is from The ICOI-International Congress of Oral Implantologists. The purpose of the article was to determine the overall success of dental implants placed in geriatric patients. The patient range was from 79-99 years old. A total of 160 dental implants were placed in this age group. 159 of the dental implants were successful.
The implants were restored with “snap fit” removable overdentures, porcelain teeth fixed bridges and single implant supported teeth. Missing natural tteeth can therefore be replaced very successfully using current bone grafting and implant technologies no matter what the age. Those patients I see at The Gentle Dentist who are in their 70s and 80s can therefore have a high quality of life by being able to eat foods they want to eat and not necessarily the soft mushy foods they are comfortable eating. Additional benefits of having good looking and natural teeth is that there is much confidence gained when laughing and smiling.
There is nothing more humiliating than laughing at a joke and having one’s denture fall out of their mouth. I have had patients tell me Dr. Antolak—I laughed at an important dinner and my denture fell out of my mouth and it was the most embarrassing moment in my life.
The benefit of having your dental implants placed and restored using dental crowns, fixed bridges or snap fit dentures by the same dentist is that there is more control over the entire process. Of course, this is assuming that the dentist is qualified in all aspects of treatment.
Dr. Antolak treats his dental patients in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where you are treated like a guest in the home. His motto is to relax while we take care of your smile. He specializes in cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry and general dentistry using sedation dentistry if necessary for his high fear patients. He has been treating patients for the past 21 years and is located in Shelby Township, Macomb County, Michigan. For more information visit our website at www.thegentledentist.com