When a person experiences tooth loss as a result of injury or a medical condition, the incident changes how the mouth works. For instance, you may experience difficulty with speech, chewing, and even digestion. In general, tooth loss can impact the quality of your life. But luckily, fixing the problem is not an issue. Teeth implants can recover all the lost functions that come with tooth loss.
Hence why they are the number one treatment for tooth loss. Unlike dental bridges and dental crowns, teeth implants replace every unit of a lost tooth. From the root all the way to the crown. This special design of teeth implants is why they’re the only treatment that can prevent any side effects from tooth loss.
In this article, we will cover the procedure of teeth implants and the many types available in dentistry. In addition to helping you choose the best type for your case in terms of finances and convenience.
What are teeth implants?
Teeth implants are a treatment that falls under aesthetic dentistry and it restores lost teeth. The structure of teeth implants involves 3 units, a root implant, an abutment, and a crown. Your dentist will place the root implant in your jaw bone and then they will add the crown on top.
Placing the root within the jaw allows the bone to fuse with it, which is why teeth implants can last for a very long time. In fact, what you might need to change every 15 to 18 years is the crown alone. That is why teeth implants can be a very good investment.
The two types of teeth implants
One thing you need to consider is that the two types of teeth implants we are going to discuss are actually root implants. of course, you have a wide array of crown materials that you can choose from. We discuss crown types in detail in this article, so if you’re interested you can give it a read.
So aside from the crown, you also get to have two options for your teeth implants. There are traditional dental implants as well as dental posts. We’ll talk about both types of implants including the situations where you should contemplate one over the other.
1- Mini dental implants
We must first discuss the common type of implant structure in order to completely comprehend the structure of dental implants. This will make it easier for you to compare the two and spot the differences.
The implant, abutment, and crown make up the typical implant, which is a three-part structure. Typically a traditional implant has a diameter of 3.25 to 5 mm. Following the implant placement, your dentist will place the abutment. The abutment is like a link between the crown and the implant.
In the case of mini dental implants, there are only two parts. a crown and an implant. Mini dental implants are smaller than conventional implants, as you might have inferred from the name.
Instead of having a diameter that ranges between 3.25 to 5 mm, mini implants typically have slimmer diameters that range between 3mm and under.
2- Traditional dental implants
Traditional dental implants are the most common type of implants in dentistry. They are more versatile and usually tend to last longer than mini implants. As we discussed above, traditional implants are 3 part units and the diameter of the structure is typically much thicker than mini teeth implants.
so when should you opt for either option? Well, that will depend on a number of facts that we are going to explore together.
Mini teeth implants
Benefits
Because mini teeth implants are much smaller in size, it is natural to expect their procedure to be less invasive. And as a result, you get a few more perks with teeth implants that you wouldn’t get with traditional implants. These include:
- Faster recovery
Because of their size, there is less tissue to remove to place mini teeth implants. In turn, this makes them far less invasive than traditional implants with shorter recovery periods.
- Doesn’t require grafting
Usually, patients with low bone density will have to go through grafting. This is a procedure that increases the bone density in the target area, making it suitable for dental implants. Because of their small structure, grafting is not at all necessary even if you have low bone density with mini teeth implants. .
- Long lasting
While mini implants do not last as long as traditional implants, they can survive for up to 9 years.
Suitable Candidates
Mini dental implants aren’t right for everyone, especially children or those with a still-developing mouth. This is because, like a nail in a tree, the implant can become encircled by the bone as it grows.
They’re also unsuitable for those who grind their teeth. Mini dental implants are often not available to people with particular health issues, such as:
- Vascular disease in diabetics
- Thrombophilia and other clotting disorders
- Illness of the bones
- Periodontitis is a group of diseases that affect the healing of wounds and bones.
- Your ability to acquire small dental implants may be hampered by certain lifestyle habits and medications, such as if:
- You smoke and have poor oral hygiene
- You’re on any anticoagulant drugs
- You’re getting chemotherapy or radiation, or any other drugs that slow down bone repair
Although mini implants do not require as much jawbone density as regular implants, they still require that you have at least some bone density to work with. This means that if you have serious tooth decay and bone loss, they could not work.
Mini implants may not be able to suitable for individuals with receding gums or gum diseases.
