3 Potential Uses of Mini Implants in Dental Treatments
Posted on: 3 November 2016
Mini dental implants have the same style of screw-like metal root that inserts into the jawbone as a standard jawbone. The sole difference is that the mini implant has a smaller root though the crown that gets attached isn't necessarily smaller than standard. General and cosmetic dentistry specialists have different uses for mini dental implants that don't always involve snapping one artificial dental crown to the top at the end of treatment.
What are some of the potential uses of mini implants in dental treatments?
Replacing Smaller Teeth
Dental implants are typically used as a replacement for natural teeth lost due to trauma or decay. The position of the missing tooth can determine whether the dentist uses a traditional implant root or a mini implant.
Teeth like the incisors, for example, sit close to neighboring teeth and also have a narrower crown than multi-cusped teeth like the molars. A mini dental implant could work better in this position because the root won't encroach on the neighboring teeth but will still prove large enough to fully support the artificial incisor crown.
Anchoring Denture Plates
Implant roots sometimes form the securing method for partial or full denture plates. Traditional dentures often slide around when the patient chews, which can cause uncomfortable soft tissue abrasions and potentially cause embarrassment if the movement is noticeable to others. Dental implant roots can hold the dentures in place while chewing and also provide jawbone health promoting friction that will keep the bone solidly under the denture plates.
Mini dental implant roots might be used for dentures because the dentist will need to use a few roots regardless of size, and the minis will offer enough support without taking up much room in your jawbone. This setup is again particularly handy in situations where the missing teeth have very close remaining neighbors but can also come in handy if you have a narrower jawbone ridge that might create difficulties installing traditional implant roots.
Spacing Orthodontics
Do you have a missing tooth or teeth and need to receive orthodontics before your dentist will replace the missing teeth? If your dentist was to put the braces on without doing anything about the missing teeth, the remaining natural teeth would get pushed into those open spaces, which would likely create a new host of bite issues. Instead, the dentist will insert mini implant roots in the missing teeth gaps to create the room for the eventual implants or other dental replacement option. The dentist can remove the mini roots if you decide not to go the implant route.
To learn more about mini dental implants and whether they'd be right for you, talk to a dentist at Kappenman Family Dental.
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