What is a mini dental implant?
Mini dental implants, or MDIs, are implants with smaller diameters that can be placed in a flapless and minimally invasive procedure using only local anesthetic. Unlike other types of implants, which install titanium roots first and require long recovery times, dental mini implants can usually be installed in one quick treatment and are used immediately to anchor dental prosthetics.
MDIs act in place of the natural tooth root and are made of titanium and calcium phosphate to encourage quick healing. The head consists of a ball that locks into dentures or other prosthetic devices.
Who can MDIs help?
MDIs are great for people who wear dentures or who don’t want to have a highly invasive dental procedure. They’re also a viable treatment option for patients with extensive bone loss, or patients who don’t want to pay for multiple surgery sessions. Mini dental implants are most commonly used to stabilize lower dentures.
What are benefits of MDIs?
MDIs don’t require cutting or sutures. They allow for better breath and clearer speech, and make chewing, biting and cleaning much easier, especially for patients with dentures. In fact, patients with dentures will no longer have to use adhesives or worry about food rotting underneath their dentures. They also won’t experience wobbling, slipping or discomfort and their dentures will have a firmer fit.
How are they placed?
Mini implants take about an hour to place. Your dentist will administer mild anesthetic, then drill small holes in the jawbone for each MDI. Each implant is screwed in place. After this step, patients with dentures will have their denture measured against the implant locations, and it will be sent to the lab for adjustment.
With proper adjustment, dentures should snap right onto the implants, and can be removed and cleaned as often as needed. Usually stitching isn’t necessary and patients don’t feel much discomfort.
Ask your dentist if mini dental implants could improve your quality of life!