Job 115 Top Implants 1 – Mini Dental Implants

Job 115 Top Implants 1 – Mini Dental Implants
Patients for whom conventional restorations are unwanted or not an option, may find mini dental implants an ideal solution to replace their missing teeth. Some patients may find the invasive surgery needed for regular implants to be undesirable where others may lack sufficient bone density needed to support them.
This article will briefly discuss dental implants with particular attention paid to mini implants.

What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are an alternative to traditional dentures or dental bridges for replacing missing teeth. Whereas dentures and bridges are prosthetic teeth that rest on the patient’s gums, dental implants are surgically imbedded into the jawbone and therefore not removable. The small metal implants serve as replacement tooth roots and provide a strong foundation upon which a restorative crown can eventually be placed.
After the implants are placed, three to six months healing time is needed to allow the implant and bone to fully fuse together. Once properly fused to the bone, the implant is uncovered, and a post is attached serving as the anchor for the replacement prosthetic crown to be attached.
Some patients find dental implants to be superior to dentures because they do not shift place in the mouth the way dentures do. Age is not a determining factor though underlying conditions, such as having adequate jawbone density, are required. Dental implants tend to be stronger, more aesthetically pleasing, and with proper care, can last a lifetime.

What are Mini Dental Implants?
As the name implies, mini dental implants are a smaller form of regular implants but retain the same structures as their traditional counterparts. Mini dental implants are about half the size of regular implants and can be useful in cases where the patient’s mouth is unable to accommodate the size of a traditional implant.
Mini dental implants may be necessary if a dentist determines the patient does not have adequate bone needed to support a regular dental implant. Insufficient jawbone can be caused by certain dental trauma, long-time tooth loss, developmental deformities, or from certain disorders such as osteoporosis.
One missing tooth can be replaced with mini dental implants in cases where:
* The tooth needing replacement was small
* It was a front tooth
* The tooth was a pre-molar, or
* The area needing replacement is narrow
In cases where multiple teeth need replacement, mini dental implant can serve as anchors to hold implant-supported dentures or partial dentures. Typically, four implants can be placed for patients needing dentures but some patients may require six implants.

Mini Dental Implant Procedure
Surgery for mini dental implants is done on an outpatient basis in the dentist or oral surgeon’s office and generally takes about an hour to complete. Prior to surgery, the patient is evaluated to determine where the implants will be placed and how many will be required. After the patient receives local anesthesia, the dentist drills small holes into the patient’s jawbone and places the metal implants. After a period of months healing, the implants are permanently secured in place restoring the patient’s looks and functionality.