The full dental implants Hertfordshire give an opportunity to completely replace teeth but the mini-implant can take a very damaged tooth to add a crown-like practical implant. Let’s try to see how they can help.
Standard implants
The standard type of dental implants Hertfordshire that we use is an endosteal implant. This visually resembles a titanium screw and is between 1.8millimetres wide and 3.0 millimetres long. It is inserted into your jaw via surgery where it fuses over a period of 4 to 9 months. Our team will assess if this is occurring correctly at your check-ups post-fitting. If after 12 months we determine that the implant is not fusing correctly, we will remove it and discuss other restorative options with you.
One of the drawbacks of a standard endosteal implant is that you have to have a healthy amount of jawbone that is disease free. It has to be thick enough to support an implant. This may not be feasible if you lost your natural tooth or teeth many years ago and as a result, the jawline has shrunk. Standard implants can be used to support a range of dental prosthetics. Anything from a single crown to an entire denture set can be supported using a single implant or, as many as 8 in the case of immobilising a denture.
Mini implants
If you take an endosteal implant and shrink it, you will be left with a mini-implant.
This type of oral implant is suitable for people who may not have the jawbone required to support an endosteal option but still want a more stable alternative to unsecured dentures or bridges. Like the standard implant, a mini-implant is fitted via surgery but it is generally less invasive and may not require you to have any incisions made into your jaw or indeed any stitching afterwards.
Strengths of mini-implants
There are many advantages of having mini-implants fitted as opposed to regular dental implants Hertfordshire. As mentioned, a key advantage is that they have a wider range of use amongst patients whose jaw may not be in the best shape or may have shrunk due to having no teeth to support. Mini-implants are also suitable for people who may have conditions such as osteoporosis, as they do not require the jaw bone to be in pristine condition in order to be fitted.
They also do not require the same fusing time as a standard implant and can be fitted and loaded with a prosthetic on the same day. So you don’t have to worry about the implant not fusing correctly.
When are mini implants unsuitable?
There are few instances when mini implants are not suitable. If you are looking to have an entire set of dentures immobilised using implants, this option may not be viable with mini implants. This is because they cannot support the weight or the load associated with the wearing of a full denture. If this is the case, our team will look to restore your smile using another option such as a denture or a fitted bridge.
