Do you have any teeth missing? We have had many patients with missing teeth, and we understand how frustrating that is. You can’t eat as well with missing teeth. The missing socket can be uncomfortable. Your other teeth might even start moving into the empty spaces.
Your jawbone can also start to deteriorate when teeth and roots—which support the jawbone—are missing, and we haven’t even mentioned the lower self-confidence that can be caused by missing teeth.
Mini implants can solve this situation for a lot of patients, when their dental diagnosis is right for it. Let’s explore this topic, so you can think about whether mini implants or denture implants are great solutions for you.
What Are Mini Implants?
An implant in general is a metal replacement tooth root for either an artificial tooth or a dental appliance, such a set of dentures. This metal implant is permanently attached to your own jawbone to provide excellent support for your new tooth or appliance.
A mini implant is a smaller version of a traditional tooth implant. It can be used in certain situations and in certain areas of the mouth. For example, we might provide mini implants if:
- you need certain front teeth replaced (not the larger back teeth).
- Your teeth are small.
- You need a replacement tooth in a very narrow gap.
- We are replacing a premolar tooth (smaller versions of molars).
- You need denture implants.
What Are the Advantages of Mini Implants?
Traditional tooth implants are usually made of three parts:
- The metal rod or root.
- A connector piece (called an “abutment”).
- A crown (artificial tooth) or dentures attached to the connector.
In contrast, mini implants can be attached directly to a dental appliance, such as dentures, without the need for a connector in between.
A mini implant can be about half the diameter of a full-size tooth implant. This can be perfect for certain small spaces in the mouth where a traditional implant wouldn’t fit.
Also, mini implants can often cost far less than regular tooth implants because:
- They use much smaller parts, which are less expensive.
- The procedure for placing them is easier to perform, sometimes not even needing surgery.
- Their small size requires less bone density to support them, which means we don’t have to use a bone graft for patients who would need one otherwise.
Once we place your mini implants, we can quickly attach dentures or crowns to them. You’ll be able to clean your teeth normally almost right away and get back to eating regular food pretty quickly.
Recovery after getting mini denture implants is often much quicker for patients than recovery from surgery for traditional denture implants.
Call Us for an Appointment with a New Smile
If you have missing teeth, getting a repaired smile may be easier than you think. Don’t be discouraged! With mini implants, your new smile could be right around the corner.
Call us for an appointment and consultation today. We’ll figure out together if traditional implants or mini implants are perfect for you!