Mini Dental Implants Vancouver, WA

Mini Dental Implants Vancouver, WA

Dentist in Vancouver WA

Q: What are mini dental implants?

A: Mini dental implants are often referred to as MDI. They are implants made of titanium and used as a base for dental crowns or dentures to secure them in place. Mini implants are about 2 millimeters in diameter. Its purpose is to act as a missing tooth’s root.

Q: When are mini dental implants used?

A: MDI are often used when the patient’s mouth had contained a small or premolar tooth, or when the area of the missing tooth is very narrow. They are typically used on the lower jaw since they have a higher percentage of success on the lower than on the upper jaw.

Q: What is the procedure of placing the MDI?

A: The placement of MDIs can be done in a single visit to the dental office. After the patient is under anesthesia, the dentist would drill a hole into the jawbone and screw the mini dental implant in place. Then, the dental crown would go on top of this implant. If the procedure is done to secure dentures in, then multiple mini implants would be drilled into the bone, and the dentures would go on top of these. This may be called Snap-On Denture, Denture Stabilization, or Implant-Supported Denture.

Q: When would mini implants be a suitable option?

A: MDI is a viable option when the patient does not have enough bone to bind the traditional implants. There are also patients that choose this option when they can’t or choose not to do a bone graft. Also, other patients choose to go through with this procedure so that they could lock their dentures over the implants.

Q: How long do mini dental implants last?

A: The success rate of the MDI procedure is high if the patient properly cares for them. They are considered to be very stable and can last many years.

Q: Is everyone a good candidate for mini dental implants?

A: There are various factors that can cause the mini dental implants to fail. Those who would not be a good candidate are patients that smoke, drink heavily, have poor health, have bleeding disorders, have Alzheimer’s disease, and so on. There are also some patients that have no bone at all, that the only way of receiving the MDI is if they have bone grafting done.

Q: How do you maintain MDI?

A: The minimum requirements of caring for the MDI is to at least brush twice a day, floss at least once a day, and visit the dentist twice a year.

Q: What are the disadvantages of MDI?

A: The price could be costly compared to just getting dentures. The patient’s body may reject the titanium or metal of the implant, which would inhibit the bondage to the bone. The patient could get an infection from the surgery. Also, patients may have to change their lifestyle in order to let the MDI last many years. For example, avoid smoking, drinking, caffeine, etc.

Dr. Jared Bowyer’s office offers Mini Dental Implants in Vancouver, WA for patients who want to transform their smile. Call us today and we’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.