A mini dental implant is a root form dental implant with a diameter of less than 3mm.  Root form dental implants are the most common dental implants used today.  Mini dental implants were originally used as “transitional” or temporary dental implants.  It was noted that with time, some of these mini dental implants were not temporary but rather, they lasted as long as “regular” dental implants.  This is when these dental implants became known as mini dental implants rather than transitional dental implants.  The two numbers on the dental implant container seen in this picture are 2.5 / 18.  These numbers mean that this dental implant is 2.5mm in diameter and 18mm in length.

Mini dental implants are used in many situations.  If pushed to choose specific ideal locations for their use, they are ideally used to replace the roots of small rooted teeth, teeth #’s 7, 10, 23, 24, 25 and tooth #26.  They are also used very commonly to retain lower dentures for patients with severe bone loss.

In this picture a mini dental implant is seen fully seated into the jawbone in the missing tooth #25 position.  The gum tissue is fully reflected prior to suturing.  In this particular situation, a full diameter dental implant might have fit, but this is an ideal situation for the use of a mini dental implant.  More information including the current cost of dental implants in my Palm Harbor, Tampa area dentist office see:  www.DentalImplantsCost.us

All dental implants, not just a mini dental implants must be treated with great respect.  The surfaces that are inserted into the jawbone must not be contaminated or this will interfere with osseo-integration.  Osseo-integration is the term used to describe the fusing of the jawbone to the pure, uncontaminated oxidized titanium surface of a dental implant.  If a dental implant touches anything that could cause contamination during the surgical placement step, that dental implant should be discarded and a new one used.

The mini dental implant seen in this photo is still in its sterile packaging.  The surface will not make contact with anything other than the patients jawbone prior to placement.  This procedure was completed without complication and the patient has been chewing on his crown supported by this dental implant for more than 6 months prior to this posting.

You can see my companion website, www.DentalImplantsCost.us for more information including the current cost of dental implants in my Palm Harbor, Tampa FL area dentist office.

In the past few years, mini dental implants have received much media attention.  Mini dental implants are not new.  I placed my first mini dental implant while still practicing dentistry in my previous dental office in Palm Harbor FL 34683 in the early 1990′s.  These first mini dental implants were considered “transitional” or “temporary” dental implants.  With time, it was noticed that some of these temporary dental implants stayed for long periods of time.  One existing 103 year old female patient of mine still has three of these “temporary” dental implants from 20 years ago.

In this picture we see a modern mini dental implant.  The current definition of a mini dental implant is a dental implant of less that 3mm in diameter.  Mini dental implants are used in very thin jawbones, and specifically in the tooth #’s 7,10, 23,24,25 & 26 position.

For more information about dental implants including current cost of dental implants in my Palm Harbor, Tampa area dentist office see:  www.DentalImplantsCost.us