About Mini Dental Implants

Mini dental implants, also known as MDI’s, are a miniature titanium dental implant that acts as a tooth root replacement for those patients looking to replace broken, decaying, damaged or missing teeth. Mini dental implants are revolutionary in design because they are significantly thinner than the traditional dental implants, allowing for a higher success rate in patient placement.

The mini dental implant device is a single titanium screw complete with a ball-shaped head (also known as an abutment). The abutment acts as a "snap" that snaps into a socket-like connector. This connector is a retaining fixture that is incorporated into the base of the dental prosthetic (dentures, crown, bridge, etc.).

The nature of the retaining fixture is unique as it achieves a connection using a rubber o-ring inside the socket connector. The design provides adequate retaining force to hold the dental prosthetics in place so that they may look and act like natural teeth. However, when additional force is applied, the retaining fixtures can be removed, allowing for maintenance or cleaning.

Mini Dental implants are just what their name implies—they are considerably smaller than their traditional counterparts. Most MDI’s are 2 millimeters in diameter as opposed to traditional implants, which are 4-5.75 millimeters.

Mini dental implants have increased in popularity as the procedures have become easier, less invasive and more successful.  Success rates have only grown as patients have continued to undergo treatment.

One of the reasons for continued success with MDI’s is the cost. With any dental procedure, the overall cost is always an important aspect for patient consideration. Those considering mini dental implants will find that they are significantly less expensive when compared to traditional implants. In some cases, they can be as much as 60% cheaper.

Not only do patients find the MDI treatment affordable, but they also take advantage of its speed. In most cases, the treatment can be completed in less than two hours—meaning patients only need a single dental visit to complete their smile. In addition, its minimally invasive nature means patients can undergo treatment without the requirement of downtime. Patients will have full use of their teeth immediately following treatment.

Find out more about mini dental implants today and see if this revolutionary treatment is right for you.

Replacing Missing Teeth with Mini Dental Implants

For broken, decaying and damaged teeth, there are many dental treatments patients can undergo to restore their smile, but when it comes to missing teeth, there’s no better treatment for replacing missing teeth than with mini dental implants. Whether it’s a single tooth, a group of teeth, a full arch of teeth or a full set of teeth, MDI’s are a safe and effective way to achieve a naturally beautiful smile with long-lasting results.

Until recently, patients replacing missing teeth could only rely on bridges (which rely on support from surrounding teeth—ultimately leading to damage and decay down the road) and removable dentures (which are prone to causing embarrassment and discomfort). Mini dental implants offer an innovative solution to the problem of missing teeth. They provide the stability needed to complete everyday tasks such as speaking and eating with ease, all with a smile that looks and feels completely natural.

Replacing missing teeth with mini dental implants is both simple and straightforward. The treatment is performed at your dentist’s office using a local anesthetic. Once administered, your dentist will use a special drill, to drill small holes through the gum line and into the jawbone—this creates space for implant placement. A special wrench-like tool will then be used to tighten or ‘screw’ the implant into the jawbone, providing root-like stability for a dental prosthetic (crown, bridge or dentures).

Once properly placed, only the ball-shaped head, otherwise known as the abutment, will be visible above the gum line. At this time, your dentist will attach a metal housing to your dental prosthetic—this is what attaches the prosthetic to the implant. The metal housing is socket-like in nature and contains an o-ring, which works to effectively ‘snap’ the prosthetic onto the abutment, creating a secure seal.

The result is stable support for a dental prosthetic that looks and feels like a real tooth or teeth. Replacing missing teeth with mini dental implants is safe, quick and provides long-lasting results. Consult with your dentist today and see if this procedure can help you to replace your missing teeth for a naturally beautiful smile that lasts.

Mini Dental Implant Procedure

The most advanced technology for replacing broken, damaged, decayed or missing teeth can be found in Mini Dental Implants. This revolutionary procedure is not designed to replace the need for conventional or traditional implants, rather it offers patients a different choice.

Advancements in technology have drastically reduced implant size, thereby reducing cost—making dental implantation more affordable and ideal for many patients who were not candidates for traditional implants. Dental implants are a great option for patients in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth and wish to restore their naturally, beautiful smile.

The Mini Dental Implant Procedure

This innovative treatment is something that can be completed for most patients in just a single dental visit.  The procedure will start with the administration of a local anesthetic. Once sufficiently numbed, small incisions will be made in the gum line and a specialized drill will create small holes in the jawbone for implant placement.

A specialized wrench is used to tighten the implant into the jawbone until only the top portion (the abutment) is visible above the gum line. This visible portion of the implant is what connects the implant to the dental prosthetic.

A single or multiple implants may be needed depending on whether a patient is replacing a single tooth, a group of teeth or an entire arch of teeth. Once a patients’ implant(s) is placed, the next step will be to attach the dental prosthetic(s).

In order to properly attach the dental prosthetic (crown, bridge, partial or full dentures) to the implant, your dentist must place a retaining fixture onto each dental prosthetic. The retaining fixture is socket-like in nature and fits snugly over the ball-shaped implant abutment. The retaining fixture snaps onto the implant abutment, effectively stabilizing the dental prosthetic—giving patients the look and function of natural teeth.

When it comes to replacing broken, damaged and missing teeth, mini dental implants are quickly growing to be one of the most sought after tooth replacement procedures. Find out today if this revolutionary tooth replacement treatment is right for you.

Mini Dental Implants for Crowns

When it comes to tooth damage and decay, dentists will most commonly recommend a crown to improve the health and life of your tooth. While crowns can improve oral health by improving the look and function of damaged teeth, until recently, they were not capable of replacing a single missing tooth. Now, with mini dental implants for crowns, the dental implant acts as the tooth root, and allows for the replacement of a single missing tooth, without relying on support from surrounding teeth.

The Crown Stabilization Procedure

Traditional crowns are tooth-shaped caps which are placed over an existing tooth—often one that is damaged due to decay, accident, or other circumstances—in order to restore its shape, size and strength, for proper function and appearance. Crowns look and act like real teeth, however they rely on the support of the existing tooth root.

While crowns are ideal for restoring damaged and decaying teeth, it was only with the introduction of the mini dental implant, that crowns became a viable source for replacing a single missing tooth. 

The mini dental implant system for crown placement:

-        The implant. The titanium alloy implant is rooted into the jawbone where it acts as an anchor to stabilize the crown.

-        The metal housing. A metal housing is incorporated into the base of the crown and is what connects the crown to the implant.

-        The rubber O-ring. The O-ring is inside the metal housing and works as a seal to lock the two pieces together.

The mini dental implant or MDI treatment will take place right in your dentist’s office with use of a local anesthetic. The dental implant is placed in the jaw bone using precise and controlled techniques that involve a small incision in the gum line, after which a specialized drill is used to create a small hole in the jawbone where the implant is inserted. Once placed, only the ball-shaped head of the implant, or abutment, will be visible above the gum line.

The metal housing, complete with O-ring is then attached to the crown so that they can be ‘snapped’ into place. The socket-like O-ring connects with the ball-shaped abutment, locking the crown firmly in place so that it rests comfortably on the gum line, providing the look, feel and function of a natural tooth.