Mini dental implants are an exciting, newer option for patients who have lost teeth. It does not matter if you’re missing a single tooth or all your teeth, mini dental implants can give you natural-appearing replacements that last a lifetime.
Many patients are not familiar with dental implants and know even less about the miniature versions. Let’s take a look at how mini dental implants work and how they can benefit the oral health of patients in the Little Rock area.
The Basics
Unlike dentures or partial dentures, mini implants are a permanent method of tooth replacement. They are titanium posts that your Arkansas Family Dental dentist sets surgically into the bone of your jaw. The mini dental implants mimic the roots of natural teeth. Once placed, the implants need some time to integrate into the bone. After this process is complete, your dentist can add crowns on top of your implants or securely attach dentures.
Addressing Bone Loss
Many patients who are edentulous (missing all or most of their teeth) have problems with bone loss. The bone under your teeth is prone to resorption if you have absent teeth. This process can also occur in wearers of conventional dentures. Without sufficient bone, conventional dental implants will not anchor securely in place.
Since they are smaller, mini dental implants provided at your Little Rock dentist do not require as much underlying bone as their larger counterparts. This fact makes mini dental implants an excellent option for patients who lost teeth many years ago and may no longer have the bone structure needed for regular-sized dental implants.
Wearing dentures that are secured with mini dental implants will usually not result in bone loss. Significant bone resorption typically does not occur since these types of dentures are anchored into the bone rather than resting on top of the gumline, secured only by adhesive.
Amazingly Secure Dentures
If you currently wear traditional dentures, you’ve likely had to deal with slippage, application of messy adhesive, and fear of social embarrassment. Wearers must take out conventional dentures to sleep, clean them in a special solution, and place them back in again in the morning. What’s worse is that many denture-wearers miss out on their favorite foods for fear of their dentures slipping or coming out. Not only are these issues a major hassle, but unsecured dentures can even lower your quality of life.
However, your dentist can fix dentures permanently into place with mini dental implants. This procedure typically involves placing four mini implants in your jaw, then attaching special dentures to those implants. This technique allows your dentist to replace an entire arch of teeth using only four implants, rather than placing implants for over a dozen individual teeth. Dentures secured in this manner will not slip or fall out, allowing you to speak with confidence and eat what you enjoy. You also won’t need to take your implants out for sleeping. They are permanent, just like natural teeth.
Interested in learning more about how mini dental implants can improve your life? Schedule a consultation at Arkansas Family Dental today.
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