If you’re like most people, the word “dentures” probably makes you think about messy adhesive and that awkward speech pattern that results when your teeth come loose and try to sneak out of your mouth. If these notions are less than thrilling to you, have you considered mini dental implants? Mini implants can be used for either one tooth or a set of teeth, and have many benefits over both traditional dentures and traditional dental implants.
Mini dental implants involve a series of titanium anchors drilled into the jaw that mimic the function of your teeth’s natural roots. While this might sound like a terrifying prospect, in reality the procedure is extremely simple and involves minimal discomfort. Once in place, the implants feature a ball-like head that snaps into a series of O-rings in the denture plate itself, holding them comfortably against the gum tissue.
Some of the benefits of mini dental implants are:
1. They are extremely comfortable.
While traditional dentures require the aforementioned denture adhesive, are often loose or uncomfortable, and can come loose while eating or talking, mini dental implants are so secure that removal often requires both hands.
2. The procedure is minimally invasive.
Unlike traditional implants, which require cutting away gums to reveal the jawbone, mini-implants are inserted via a series of openings created with a very small bit – the implants themselves are about the size of wooden toothpicks. The procedure only takes 1-2 hours and requires only local anesthetic.
3. Recovery time is extremely short.
For most patients, it is possible to eat normally a few hours after the procedure, and any associated discomfort is minimal and short-lived – usually passing within 48 hours, if there is any discomfort at all. With traditional implants, the healing period often lasts several months.
4. The procedure is affordable for most patients.
Mini-implants generally cost between 1/4 and 1/2 the cost of traditional implants – often in the range of $5,000 to $10,000. Most offices will also offer a monthly payment plan, making this an affordable option for many patients. Additionally, mini-implants rarely require the additional cost of bone grafts that are sometimes required to anchor traditional implants. The mini implants can also be adapted to work with your existing dentures in most cases, so you won’t have to buy a new set.
5. Mini implants can be used even for patients who are not candidates for traditional implants.
While traditional dental implants require the patient to have a sufficient amount of bone to hold a couple of large anchors, mini implants can hold a plate with 4 to 6 smaller implants. The longer you have had dentures, the more your underlying bone erodes, making it difficult to hold conventional dentures in place. For patients whose jawbone may be inadequate for traditional dentures, mini dental implants are a practical alternative. For patients with inadequate bone density or thickness, traditional implants can require bone grafting procedures – such as removing bone from a patient’s hip or shin, or using synthetic, cadaver or bovine bone. Mini-implants generally relieve the need for such procedures, making them a more practical solution.