Dental Implants for Pediatric Patients

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Most people associate dental implants in Victorville CA with older people who have had some or all of their original teeth replaced after a lifetime of wear. However, sometimes it is necessary for older children and teenagers to obtain dental implants. Implants are not an option for younger children.

Children’s jaws grow throughout their childhood, which means there is a good possibility that the implant would come loose after a short time. Additionally, most kids do not have all their permanent teeth until around age 13. For this reason, Dr. A. Paul S. Bell prefers waiting to place dental implants for pediatric patients who have lost one or more adult teeth.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants consist of three parts. The first is a titanium post that sits below your child’s gum line. Dr. Bell uses a dental drill to place the implant post, and then your child needs to wait several weeks to months for the jaw to heal before returning to our office to complete the procedure.

The abutment is the second part of a dental implant. This piece sits on top of your child’s gum line and secures the replacement tooth, which is the third part of a dental implant, to the implant post. We take extra care to ensure that your child’s replacement tooth, also called a pontic, matches the shade and contouring of your child’s other teeth as closely as possible.

Benefits of Choosing Dental Implants for Your Child

Dental implants look natural, which can increase your child’s confidence. They also restore speaking and chewing abilities while preventing the other teeth from shifting towards the open spot. To learn more about dental implants in Victorville CA, please reach out to the office of Dr. A. Paul S. Bell to request at time to meet with him.

Dental Implants for Teens and Young Adults

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Adults often choose dental implants in Victorville, CA, because they look and function like natural teeth. Filling in missing teeth with dental implants allows people to speak clearly, chew their food adequately, have a fuller-looking face, and smile without worrying about their artificial teeth falling out.

At What Age Can Children Get Dental Implants?

As great as these benefits are, dental implants are not appropriate for children because their jaws have not finished growing yet. Patients should have reached skeletal maturity before we consider placing dental implants.

The risk of getting implants too young is that they can impede ongoing bone development, which can cause significant complications up to and including implant failure. While every patient is different, the jawbones of many young people are fully developed around age 16 to 17 for girls and age 18 to 21 for men.

The Dental Implant Procedure

Dr. Paul Bell follows the same basic steps when installing dental implants, regardless of the patient’s age. The first step after numbing the patient’s gums is to place the implant screw, which is made of titanium, into the jawbone using a dental drill. The post takes on the same function as natural tooth roots and fuses with those that the patient has remaining. At this young age, most patients need only a single tooth or a few teeth replaced due to facial trauma.

After waiting several weeks to a few months for the implant screw to fuse and the jawbone to heal, the patient returns to our dental practice to have the artificial tooth attached. Dr. Bell first secures a piece called an abutment that connects the artificial tooth and the implant screw together and then places the replacement tooth on top of it.

Please contact us to learn more about dental implants in Victorville, CA, for older teenagers or young adults.

Why Should My Teen Replace Their Flipper with an Implant?

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A flipper tooth is a removable partial denture that makes it possible for a teen to fill out their smile if they lose a permanent tooth. It’s affordable, easily accessible, stabilizes the rest of the teeth, and is easy to remove and replace. However, this solution was never meant to be permanent. We’ll look at why a dental implant in Victorville, CA is a better option.

Less Hassle

A flipper tooth ensures that the teeth on either side don’t move and shift to fill the gap. However, this comes at a cost to a teen, who is supposed to remove the flipper and clean it out every night before storing it in water. With an implant, the crown is attached by a post in the jaw that has fused to the bone. It looks, acts, and feels like a regular tooth rather than a flipper that requires extra steps.

Brighter Smiles

A flipper is lightweight and easy to adjust, which can be a plus for teens who like the convenience or who are nervous about putting metal into their jaw. However, it’s also easier to break or damage. Plus, if your teen is not always on the ball about cleaning and caring for their teeth, it’s easy for plaque and food to build up and affect your teeth and gums. Implants are strong enough to remain in place for many years to come.

Dentists in Victorville, CA

If you’re looking for a dentist in Victorville, CA who can help you figure out the best path to an implant, the staff at A Paul S Bell, DDS Inc. can give you all the information you need. We’re here to care for your child’s teeth so they can enjoy oral health their whole lives.

Why Dental Implants Might Be the Solution to Your Less-Than-Dazzling Smile

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Is your smile missing its dazzle factor? If you have missing, stained, or broken teeth, you may be reluctant to smile even when you’re happiest. Worry about the condition of your teeth can control how you appear to others. Fortunately, dental implants will fix this problem quite easily. Let Dr. Paul S. Bell at A Paul S Bell, DDS Inc in Victorville, CA, show you how.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are prosthetic devices that look and function just like natural teeth. They’re held in place by titanium posts that have been implanted and allowed to bond with the bone beneath your gums. Dental implants are attractive, permanent solutions to lost or extracted teeth. They’ll brighten your smile and help prevent future bone loss. Best of all, they look natural. No one will know dental implants aren’t your real teeth unless you tell them.

Who Is a Candidate for Dental Implants?

Most people are good candidates for dental implant procedure, but there may be exclusions in the following instances:

  • You smoke.
  • There is a chronic condition such as diabetes involved.
  • You have insufficient bone mass left.
  • Gum disease is prevalent.

In many instances, just because you can’t get dental implants right away doesn’t mean you can’t have the procedure performed later. Talk with your dental professional and primary care physician if you have a medical condition that discourages dental implants.

Are Dental Implants a Same-Day Procedure?

Dental implants are not a quick fix. Your dentist will have to take a cast of your teeth first. They may also have to extract problem teeth before beginning the implant process. You should expect the whole procedure to encompass several months at the minimum. Once the titanium post is implanted in your gum, it needs time the bond with the bone. Your mouth must heal between each step of the dental implant process. But it will all be worth it in the end when you emerge with your fabulous new smile.

See Dr. Paul S. Bell Today

If you think dental implants may be the solution to your current situation, call Dr. Paul S. Bell today to schedule an initial consultation. Our practice will up your smile factor using simple dental implant procedures that change the way you face the world.

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