Mini Dental Implants

Mini implants are essentially a smaller version of normal dental implants, often less than 2mm in diameter. Your prosthodontist may recommend mini implants when there is insufficient bone to place standard-sized implants. Mini implants can effectively serve as long-term support for implant dentures or small crowns and bridges. They also can be used to support crowns on very narrow tooth spaces.

A favorite benefit of mini implants is that it is a minimally invasive procedure. Another great benefit is that they are less expensive. Directly placing the mini implant through the gum does not even require an incision. Most patients enjoy immediate results with mini implants and can often eat within a few hours.

One big disadvantage to mini implants is that they are grossly overused in dentistry. The ease of placement has caused many dentists to use them exclusively. No one implant is indicated in every situation. In fact, the mini implant is the least versatile of all our implant types. In an ethical dental implant practice mini implants are only indicated when very limited bone or space between roots exist (anatomic limitations). A prosthodontists can give you all your options.

View case studies of various implant procedures in our Gallery >>

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