Regular Dental Implants vs. Mini Dental Implants

Serving the Portland OR & Vancouver WA Metro Area

Tooth loss can occur due to traumatic injury, disease, cancer treatment, dental decay, or a problematic tooth that just needs to be extracted. Whatever the reason, dental implants can be used to effectively replace your missing teeth. They’ll look aesthetically pleasing and function just like your regular teeth.

Two common types of dental implants are the traditional implant and mini dental implants. When comparing regular implants and mini implants, the main differences include their size and healing time.

Traditional Dental Implants

A traditional dental implant is used to restore the form and function of a missing tooth in your mouth. This type of design is built to last for a lifetime and are widely known to be more dependable and comfortable than their mini-implant counterparts. The dental implant is placed in the jawbone via surgery. Once the dental implant and jawbone fuse together, it’s uncovered. An abutment is placed on top of the dental implant, which is used to attach a permanent crown, denture or other dental prosthesis.

Drawbacks of Traditional Implants

Traditional implants will require appropriate bone support. If you have any bone loss in your mouth, you may need to have bone grafting done to add more support for the implant. If you don’t have enough bone to support a traditional dental implant, you’ll need to use an alternative method that doesn’t require as much bone.

Mini Dental Implants as an Alternative to Traditional Implants

A mini dental implant is a great secondary solution if you don’t have enough bone density to support a traditional implant. They are essentially the same in purpose as traditional implants, but their size and structure differ greatly. Mini implants are about half the diameter of a traditional dental implant and they’re designed to work in tight spaces or areas of bone loss. A mini dental implant has a titanium post that has an attachment on the end, it is all one piece. It will connect to the denture with a small socket that contains a rubber O-ring which is placed inside the denture.

Mini implants are favored for being a more cost-effective solution.

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