Frequently Asked Questions on Mini Dental Implants ~ Do They Work?
Mini Dental Implants ~ Are they bad? Do they work? Can you unscrew them with your fingers? Do the break? Can you use a mini implant on the upper arch? And many more……
I get lots of questions from Dentists and Patients alike on Mini Dental Implants. The short answer is if used and placed properly Mini Dental Implants will work to solve the patients request….to have a 2nd chance for teeth. A mini dental implant just does it a different way. Do I think mini implants will replace traditional regular conventional implants? No….mini dental implants offer the patient another choice. There will always be a need for regular implants.
Do Mini Dental Implants Work?
Yes…they can replace missing teeth in the upper and lower jaws with porcelain crowns or bridges. They can hold in upper or lower dentures with a o-ball and a snap fitted into the denture. Mini Dental Implants have a history of working well for over 15 years.
My Dentist tells me that I should not get Mini Dental Implants; what should I do?
There is lots of confusion on this subject of mini dental implants vs. regular traditional implants. There should not be. They both work and they both work well. It's more of an issue of choice for the patient. If a patient does not choose regular traditional implants they should not be told to just go home; they should have been offered mini dental implants. With 40 – 50 Million Americans without teeth, implant treatment should not be only for the rich. Mini Dental Implants offer what was once not possible for most patients. With only 3% of Americans with Dental Implants we as Dentists have so much work to do. It would take us our entire careers to help everyone live a better life with dental implants.
Mini Dental Implants do integrate (bond) to the bone.
They are approved to use in the USA by the FDA for long term use anywhere in the mouth.
I can tell you that my success after placing over 1500 mini implants is the same as regular conventional dental implants. I encourage patients who have reservations to make a consultation with a skilled Dentists (Oral Surgeon, Periodontists, or General Dentist) who places traditional implants and a Dentist who places mini dental implants. I would ask each one to see examples of their final results and how many implants they have placed. With that information I think patients are well equiped to make a choice that is appropriate for them.
Mini Dental Implants are so small, will they holdup in my mouth? I was told they would break.
Mini Dental Implants are made from titanium alloy. This alloy is 1.6 x stronger than CP(Commercially Pure) Titanium. Most mini dental implants are between 2.0mm and 3.0mm in size and fracture LESS because they are SOLID. A regular conventional implant is two pieces that is held together with a screw. If the traditional implant on average is 4.0mm wide and the screw hole in the center is 2.0mm wide then the outer wall of the implant is at most 1.0mm. Because of the one piece design the mini dental implant will fracture less than a regular traditional implant.
Do Mini Dental Implants integrate or bond to the bone? I was told they do not.
All the mini dental implants we use are made from the same Titanium alloy used in making the larger regular style traditional implant. The surface coatings are the exact same, so if titanium integrates (bonds) with the bone, the same will happen with a mini dental implant. Studies now show this to be true.
Paresh B Patel DDS Dentist Mooresville NC