Mini Dental Implants Allowing Those with Dentures to Smile Once Again

A new dental technology is transforming the way that people experience dentures, allowing patients to feel more comfortable.

According to Florida Today, mini dental implants are quickly becoming the hottest trend in the dental community. The tiny steel posts allow dentures to snap firmly into place, in addition to offering a more affordable and convenient treatment option for patients.

Meleah Gray of Melbourne, FL is one of the many patients who have already begun reaping the benefits of mini implants. Before receiving the implants, she said she “did not feel comfortable speaking or eating,” because the adhesive used to hold her dentures in place wouldn’t last for long.

“Many of these people end up holding their dentures with their tongues,” said Melbourne implantologist Dr. Richard Leong. “If you go to nursing homes, you can see how the residents struggle with their dentures. They can’t chew, they can’t talk. It’s miserable for them.”

Conventional dental implants have been around for decades, and they’re typically used to replace missing teeth. According to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, over three million Americans already have conventional implants, and that number is growing by 500,000 per year.

Mini implants offer a wide array of benefits, including holding dentures in place and better serving patients with small teeth. Many dentists can complete a mini implant procedure in just one visit, and the healing time for this new technology is drastically less than conventional methods.

They say that good things come in small packages, and this old adage also applies to mini implants. Despite being approximately half the width of traditional implants, dentists say that they remain consistently solid and maintain a low rate of failure.

In addition to anchoring dentures, the mini implants can also be used for similar purposes as their conventional counterparts, such as holding cemented crowns and bridges in place.

For those struggling with loose dentures, missing teeth, or unattractive smiles, mini dental implants are proving hope for the future.

“Now, these people have a new lease on life,” Leong added.