Why do teenagers wait until jaw growth has finished?
Because an implant bonds with the jawbone and, unlike natural teeth, does not move with the jaw as it grows. Cleveland Clinic states that growth must be complete before an implant is placed and that the minimum age is usually 18. The patient information on hypodontia from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust also stresses that implants are not suitable while a person is still growing.
Natural teeth and the bone that supports them move together as the jaw develops, and the teeth continue to erupt slightly. An implant fused to the bone does not follow this movement and stays where it is. The difference adds up over the years. This guide looks at the age question for single implants; what matters when a whole jaw is restored in later life is explained in our guide Full-arch implants in later life.
What problems does an implant placed too early cause?
The most discussed problem is that the implant falls behind the neighbouring teeth and looks “sunken”. In dentistry this is called infraocclusion, a position below the chewing plane. As the neighbouring teeth continue to erupt, the crown on the implant appears shorter and the gum line is no longer level.
A 2025 review in Periodontology 2000 (Valente et al.) evaluated studies on continued remodelling of the facial bones in adulthood and continued tooth eruption. As the main risk factors for an implant that falls behind, the authors name:
- a young age at placement
- a large anterior facial height and a long, vertically growing face
- a high smile line that shows a lot of gum
The problem is most noticeable at the front teeth, where even a small difference in height matters aesthetically.
Can an implant still fall behind after the age of 18?
Yes, although more slowly. Turning 18 does not mean the problem can no longer occur. According to Valente and colleagues, later placement can reduce the risk, but there is no age threshold beyond which an implant stays completely stable for good.
In a study in Clinical and Experimental Dental Research (Sauvin et al., 2022), 23 adults with an implant crown in the upper front region were re-examined after at least eight years:
- The implant crowns sat on average 0.6 mm (0.15 to 1.63 mm) below the neighbouring teeth.
- The difference was related neither to age at placement nor to sex.
- Participants were mostly satisfied with their smile (3.9 on average on a scale of 1 to 5); of eight people who had noticed the difference, four wanted it corrected.
The authors report that most patients did not experience the difference as a problem. Before a front-tooth implant, this possibility is nevertheless discussed in advance. According to Valente and colleagues, there is no single cause; surgical technique and the design of the crown can reduce the later difference, and the timing and choice of treatment should be assessed individually, taking facial type, smile line and expectations into account.
What can be done until growth is complete?
Until growth has finished, the gap is held or closed by other means. The patient information from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust lists:
- A removable denture: an artificial tooth that can be taken out and must be adjusted or remade as the jaw grows.
- A bridge: an artificial tooth attached to a neighbouring tooth. Valente and colleagues regard resin-bonded bridges as a suitable option in selected cases.
- Orthodontics: the gap can be closed orthodontically or held at the right width for the later replacement tooth.
This interim period matters because neighbouring teeth can tip into a gap left open for a long time. For families travelling from abroad, this means that an interim solution and the later implant are usually separate trips in different years, and care in between is best provided by a dentist near you. Which solution suits a child or teenager is assessed at the examination; for minors, a parent should be present.
Is there an upper age limit?
No. Cleveland Clinic explicitly names no upper age limit. The 2018 consensus report of the International Team for Implantology (ITI) does not regard implants as contraindicated in older people, but requires that other medical conditions and the person’s independence are taken into account.
The underlying review (Schimmel et al., 2018) found no indication that advanced age impairs bonding with the bone; in people over 75, implants remained in place about as often as in younger groups. The authors note that many participants in these studies dropped out of follow-up and that only a few studies reported health status. In later life, the question is therefore less “How old are you?” than “How well do your health and your daily habits support this treatment?”. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust lists smoking, poorly controlled diabetes, poor oral hygiene, a history of gum disease and certain medicines such as bisphosphonates among the factors that raise the risk of late implant failure, not age.
What should be considered in later life?
- Health and medicines: heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis medicines and blood thinners can affect planning. Do not stop any medicine on your own; necessary adjustments are decided by your prescribing doctor and dentist together. See our guide Blood thinners and dental implants.
- Care over the years: Schimmel and colleagues point out that a person who needs help in daily life may at some point no longer wear or clean a complex restoration, and they do not count this as a successful treatment.
- Simplicity of the restoration: the replacement teeth are therefore chosen so that they can still be looked after later; a removable solution is one possibility, see Dentures or implants?
- Help with oral hygiene: if eyesight or dexterity declines, a relative should learn how to clean the teeth as well.
- Check-ups at home: inflammation around an implant does not always hurt; regular check-ups with your dentist at home help to catch problems early.
How do we plan implants by age at Rönesans?
At the examination in our clinic in Serdivan, we assess less your age than the condition of your jaw and your general health. We look at the bone and its relationship to the neighbouring teeth in three dimensions with a cone-beam CT (CBCT) scan. Our dentists review your case together, and you know from the start who will treat you. Treatment under general anaesthetic is possible if needed; whether it is an option for you is assessed at the examination.
For the preliminary assessment, you can send us photos, X-rays and your list of medicines on WhatsApp at +90 532 363 49 54 or call our landline on +90 264 606 09 43; during opening hours we reply to messages in English and German within 15 minutes. Depending on your case, a temporary tooth is fitted for the healing period. Before treatment starts, you receive a written treatment and cost plan, and after implant placement an implant card, which also helps if you later change dentist. The treatment steps are described on our dental implants page, and how a visit is organised on planning your visit.