ADA Accessibility Information
Accessibility

A
A

A

Dental Implants Vs Mini Implants
Dallas Metro Area


Mini Dental Implant Next to Molar, Mini Implant vs Dental Implants at BiteLock in the Dallas, TX area.Tooth loss is a big deal. It can be caused by any number of different issues – gum disease, oral trauma, tooth decay. No matter how it happens, missing teeth need to be replaced. At Bite Lock, we offer dental implants for tooth replacement. Dental implants have become one of the top preferred methods of doing just that. However, regular dental implants are not for everyone. This is why we offer mini implants as well. However, what is the difference?

Dental Implants


Dental implants are one of the most popular options for replacing missing teeth, despite being the most recent option available. They consist of small titanium rods, which are surgically inserted into your jawbone. The rods rely on a process known as osseointegration, or fusion. As your jaw heals from surgery, the bone fuses to the implants, turning them into stable “roots” that support your replacement teeth. Dental Implants need enough jawbone to support the implant in place.

There are several different types of implants available, designed to fit a variety of different needs. Single tooth implants are made to replace a single missing tooth. Multiple tooth implants (implant supported bridge) replace sections of missing teeth. Your teeth are supported by multiple implants (the exact number will be determined during your consultation). Implant supported dentures use 6 to 8 implants to replace an entire arch of missing teeth. With the All on 4 treatment concept it only takes 4 implants.

What are Mini Dental Implants?


Virtual image of a dental implant offered at BiteLock in the Dallas, TX area.Mini implants are a smaller version of regular implants. Typically, to be considered a candidate for regular dental implants, you must first have sufficient bone mass in your jaw. However, tooth loss causes bone loss, turning the situation into a vicious cycle. Mini implants help you to avoid the need for a bone graft, which requires several months on its own (up to a year) of healing.

Mini implants consist of a tiny titanium rod, approximately the diameter of a toothpick. Instead of being capped with an abutment, mini implants are created with a small ball on the exposed end. This provides an anchor for the elastic O-rings that attach your teeth to the implant.

Mini Implant Procedure


Placing mini implants is similar to the procedure used for placing regular dental implants. A local anesthetic is administered to the surgical sites. Incisions are made into your gums, which exposes your jawbone. We then drill into the bone and place your mini implants. Your gums are then stitched closed around the implants, leaving a small portion exposed above the gums. You are provided with temporary teeth while you heal.

Once you have healed from your surgery, we then begin the process of creating your permanent teeth, which involves taking impressions of your mouth. The impressions are used to design and fabricate your new teeth. When they are ready, they are affixed in place.

Just because you don’t qualify for regular implants, that doesn’t mean you are stuck with dentures or fixed bridges. Call Bite Lock at (972) 594-7414 to schedule your consultation and find out if mini implants are right for you.

Benefits of Mini Implants


There are several benefits to the use of mini implants:
•  They do not require as much bone mass for proper osseointegration. This means that they can be an option for those who have suffered bone loss, helping you to avoid the need for a bone graft.
•  Because the implants are smaller, they can fit into smaller areas of your mouth (they are ideal for smaller teeth).
•  Because the implants are smaller, surgery is less invasive, and therefore also requires less downtime than with regular dental implants.
•  They are less expensive than regular dental implants.

Mini implants can also be used to stabilize traditional dentures. Typically, traditional dentures are held in place by suction, supported by your gum tissue. Even with a proper fitting denture, they can come loose, and slide around on your gums. Not only are you faced with a potentially embarrassing situation, but your mobile dentures can also rub against your gums, causing painful denture sores. This issue is particularly common in the lower jaw. Mini implants can help to stabilize your dentures, preventing these issues from occurring, providing you with an alternative to denture adhesives.

Difference Between the Two


While implants and mini implants are both options available to replace missing teeth, there are several differences between the two:
•  Regular dental implants require substantial bone mass for proper osseointegration to occur. Mini implants can be used when you have experienced bone loss, as a way to avoid dentures.
•  Mini implants are smaller than regular implants. While mini implants are about the thickness of a toothpick, regular implants are about 3.4 to 5.8 millimeters in diameter. Because mini implants are so small, they can be used for smaller teeth.
•  Mini implants do not use abutments or screws as regular implants do. Instead, the teeth are held in place by elastic O-rings on a ball at the top of the implant.
•  Mini implants can be used to stabilize traditional dentures, which helps to keep them securely in place (rather than being faced with your dentures coming loose and causing both embarrassment and pain).
•  Because mini implants are so small, the surgical procedure is much less invasive. It also means your downtime after surgery is shortened.
•  Mini implants cost less than regular dental implants.
•  Regular dental implants provide more stability, and a much longer-term solution (they are considered to be a permanent solution to tooth loss). Because they are smaller, mini implants may not be as stable, or last as long.
•  In some cases, two mini implants are needed to provide the same support as one regular dental implant.

Both dental implants and mini implants are great options for replacing missing teeth that come with numerous benefits. To find out if you are a candidate, call Bite Lock today at (972) 594-7414!
Bite Lock Teeth in a Day by Dr. Pedro F. Franco - Dallas, TX
PEDRO F. FRANCO, DDS

REFER A FRIEND
IRVING LOCATION
2727 NORTH O'CONNOR RD
IRVING, TX 75062
(972) 594-7414

REQUEST AN
APPOINTMENT IRVING


MESQUITE LOCATION
2101 N. BELTLINE RD, SUITE B
MESQUITE, TX 75150
(972) 270-6617

REQUEST AN
APPOINTMENT MESQUITE


ENNIS LOCATION
2200 W. ENNIS BLVD, SUITE B
ENNIS, TX 75119
(972) 875-7616

REQUEST AN
APPOINTMENT ENNIS
Copyright © 2016-2025 Bite Lock and WEO Media (Touchpoint Communications LLC). All rights reserved.  Sitemap