Mini dental implants, which are smaller than full-size implants, work well in many dental situations. Mini dental implants with dentures is one that we often recommend to patients in our Plano, TX dentist office.
Why? Well, stabilizing dentures was the use cited by the FDA in its original approval for mini dental implants. While they’ve since been approved for other uses too, they still work quite well for this purpose.
They are especially useful for lower dentures since there’s less suction to keep lowers in place and they’re more likely to get dislodged by your tongue. In many cases, they can be used for upper dentures too. This gives you the benefit of leaving your palate exposed, which allows you to more fully taste and enjoy your food.
If you’d like to talk to Dr. Rick Barfield about mini dental implants with dentures, call 1st in Smiles at 972-905-9266.
Benefits of Mini Dental Implants With Dentures
There are many reasons for using mini dental implants with dentures:
- You may be able to use your existing dentures, which makes the dental implant procedure especially affordable.
- With implants, your dentures won’t slip. You’ll never be embarrassed while eating again!
- You’ll be able to give up messy adhesive for good; you won’t need it to keep your dentures in place.
- You can often get your mini implants with dentures in a single appointment. Contrast that to full-size implants, which must usually heal for at least a few weeks before they can be restored.
- Just like full-size implants, mini dental implants stimulate your jaw so your bone remains strong. A strong jawbone avoids the “sunken-in” look that can result over time while wearing traditional dentures.
Other Reasons to Use Mini Dental Implants
Mini dental implants are useful for other situations too. Because the procedure to place them is less invasive than placing full-size implants, they can work well for senior citizens or for people with medical conditions that slow healing time – no matter what kind of dental restoration is used to replace teeth.
If your jaw is too thin to support full-size implants, mini implants again can be a good option. While you also have the option of getting a bone graft to improve your bone strength, that adds time and expense to the dental implant process.
Mini dental implants fit better in tight spaces, especially one where implants won’t be under a lot of chewing force. The front of your mouth is a good example. Thanks to their small size, they can also be a good choice for replacing small teeth or premolars.
Dental Implants Aren’t Just for Dentures
Of course, dental implants aren’t just for dentures. Dental implants – either mini implants or full-size ones – can be used with different dental restorations. At our Plano, TX dentist office, you’ll find an implant/restoration combination for virtually any situation involving missing teeth.
You can get:
- A single dental implant with a dental crown to replace one tooth.
- Dental implants with a fixed bridge to replace several teeth.
- Dental implants with dentures, either full or partial.
Thanks to Dr. Barfield’s expertise with dental implants, you can even get an All-on-4, a procedure where he attaches a full arch of replacement teeth to just four implants, or an All-on-6, a similar procedure that uses six implants instead.
If you’re a little confused about which kinds of dental implants and replacement teeth will work best for your smile, it’s understandable! All of the options can seem confusing. Dr. Barfield will be happy to explain all of the possibilities to you and answer all of your questions. He’ll also examine you with our advanced technology like digital X-rays to determine what kind of shape your jaw is in, among other factors.
Call 1st in Smiles at 972-905-9266 to schedule a dental implant consultation with him.
