What Are Mini Dental Implants

Many patients want to understand what makes a mini implant different before considering treatment. In this video, Dr. Regan Ackerman explains its smaller size and one-piece design and how those features affect the treatment process.

So the number one question I get asked when people come in for a consultation is what is a mini dental implant? It essentially is a smaller diameter implant, which makes it a lot less invasive, with less healing time, and also means that I don’t have to have as much bone to place the implant. So when you have to place a surgical or conventional implant, you have to make kind of this big hole right here, and you have to have a lot more bone to be able to place the implant.

So the beauty of the mini dental implant, because it’s a smaller diameter implant, means I don’t have to have as much bone. So a lot of times, if you were told you weren’t a candidate for the surgical implant, you could be a candidate for the mini implant.

So that’s where that smaller diameter comes in. The other big difference with a mini dental implant, besides it being a smaller diameter implant, is it’s what we call a one-piece implant. So the part that sticks out of the gum here, that’s what we call the abutment. That is built into the mini implant, so it’s all one piece. It’s not 2 separate pieces.

With a surgical implant, it’s 2 separate pieces. You go and you have the thread part put in the bone, and then you have to go back and get it uncovered so that they can add the abutment part, the part that sticks out of the gum. But with the mini dental implant, because it’s a one-piece implant, the abutment is built in, which means fewer appointments, so it’s an easier process.

Because when I place a mini dental implant, say for a single tooth, the abutment’s already there, so I can place a temporary tooth that day, get rid of that flipper or that partial, the day we place the implant. So to kind of recap, mini dental implant is a smaller diameter, less invasive implant, which means less healing time.

It’s also a one-piece implant, which can mean fewer appointments. And a lot of times the mini dental implant process can be a little bit more affordable, and less costly than the surgical implants.

If you’re interested in learning more about mini dental implants, we invite you to schedule a free consultation with Dr. Regan Ackerman at Freedom Dental Implants in Louisville, Kentucky. We look forward to giving you the freedom to smile.