Can Children Get Dental Implants?

If one of your child’s permanent teeth is dislodged, put it immediately in a jar of milk and rush to your local dentist. Time is crucial in the success of replanting the tooth.

However, if the tooth cannot be replanted, resorting to dental implants right away may not be a good idea. A dental implant can only be successful in someone whose jawbones have fully developed. Before reaching this stage, an implant may only do more harm than good. It can impede the growth of the jaws, as well as stop other teeth from growing into their right positions.

A male child will have to wait until the age of 17, and a female until 14 or 15, for the jaw to achieve full growth. To avoid the embarrassment of a missing tooth, a single tooth denture may be the best remedy, until the child’s jaw is developed enough for an implant.

To avoid edentulism (the state of being toothless), children should be taught safety habits, like wearing mouth guards and other safety gear when playing rough sports. They should also be given the right diet, and must be trained to observe proper oral hygiene to strengthen their gums, and their teeth's hold on gums. Finally, children need to see their dentists regularly so that potential problems are detected and addressed before they could get worse.