What is the Difference between a Mini Dental Implant and a Traditional Dental Implant?

You might have heard of dental implants. They are teeth formed from a synthetic material, specially designed to look and feel like the originals and they are attached via a piece of metal secured to your jawbone. The cost of dental implants can be very expensive however, which is where mini dental implants enter the scene. These smaller dental fixings boast a price which is less than that of the traditional implants but why? What is the difference between the two?

Well first let’s consider the main similarity between the two. Both mini dental implants and traditional implants involve attaching a titanium fixing to your jawbone though, in the case of mini implants, the size of the device is smaller and can be inserted without a site having been pre-prepared. This makes the whole procedure a lot faster and can also save on so many trips back to the dentist.

Sounds like a simple solution to a costly problem right? Well although mini dental implants are sometimes used in order to actually secure prosthetic teeth, their main use is through the securing of a bottom denture plate. These days there are higher success rates in using mini dental implants for actually securing teeth but some dentists still report higher failure rates than the more traditional technology.

Let’s not dismiss mini dental implants outright though. As a person gets older the teeth aren’t the only things that wear away. So does the actual density of the bone which the teeth are secured to. As traditional implants require a fastening to this bone it is not always a possibility and this is where the mini alternative can help.

While dentures will never feel as normal as implants the secured models are certainly a more stable solution to those that are removable. However, even these secured dentures may not fit completely comfortably which can be a real headache for those faced with this issue. I would even go so far as to say that it can severely hamper a person’s quality of life.

In that respect the technology behind mini dental implants is invaluable as it provides a very effective way to secure these dentures in place. Eliminating once and for all those plates that simply will not stay put and allowing the patient to go on and enjoy life. A correctly fitted denture using this technology should not prevent you from eating the foods that you want to eat like a traditional denture would.

In conclusion, a traditional dental implant is still the best solution if you are looking to replace your teeth with synthetic equivalents. However, if you don’t have the bone structure to support them or simply cannot afford the cost, mini dental implants offer an effective alternative. To date they are the best way to securely fasten your dentures, giving you access to a quality of life that you might have thought lost forever in dealing with ill fitting and uncomfortable dentures.