Along the lines of advances in implant Dentistry has been the utilization of narrow diameter (aka mini) dental implants. These implants are exactly as described – they are narrower than traditional implants and are used in different situations.
At Waco Family Dentistry our team has been placing mini dental implants for over 10 years! The most common use of mini dental implants is to help stabilize dentures. Denture wearers have different experiences when it comes to their denture staying in. At the end of the day it is designed to come out, and there are anatomical factors that determine how well a denture stays in place. Even with a great fitting denture, sometimes it’s nice to have the peace of mind that the denture is more secure.
The great thing about mini dental implants is their versatility:
- They can be placed in areas a traditional implant would be too wide for.
- They can be used for upper and lower dentures.
- If one fails a new one can be placed in a different location easily
- In many cases we can utilize a patients existing denture
- More cost effective than traditional implants
So how do they work? The mini dental implant is a one piece system – it has a ball on the top that an o-ring can snap onto and hold the denture in place. Typically we place 4 implants on the lower and up to 6 implants on the top for stability. Once the implants are in place, the inside of the denture is fitted with housings that hold the o-rings. The denture can still come in and out for cleaning and maintenance, but when in, the o-rings snap over the ball of the implants and keep the denture in place.
We have many patients who have utilized mini dental implants and love them. Call us to set up a time to get more information to see if mini dental implants are right for you!
