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When you lose a tooth, the underlying bone tissue begins to degenerate at a rapid pace. After just one year, the bone could have experienced as much as a 25% loss of width, and long term studies have shown that the bone surrounding a lost tooth continues to lose mass throughout a person’s lifetime. While dental implants provide an ideal treatment options for many patients looking to replace their missing teeth, weak jaw bone density is often a contraindication for dental implants. Luckily, innovations in dental implant design have opened the field and introduced an implant designed specifically for people with compromised bone tissue.

Bone Loss and Dental Implant Candidacy

Dental implant patients need to have healthy jaw bone density so the implant posts have a robust foundation. Without healthy bone tissue to support them, implant posts can loosen and require surgical removal. People who have lost all or most of the natural teeth – and who would benefit the most from implant dentures – tend to have higher rates of bone loss, a condition that prevents them from receiving traditional dental implants. In response to this need, the “mini” dental implant was designed.

Introducing “Mini” Implants

The Mini-Denture Implant (MDI) denture stabilization system relies on two elements:

  • Thinner implant posts. Like traditional implant posts, mini implant posts are made from titanium. Unlike their traditional counterparts, mini implants have a diameter of 3 millimeters or less.
  • Less invasive placement procedure. This allows people with compromised jaw bone density to stabilize loose dentures usually in a single appointment. Even older patients for who traditional implant surgery might be too risky can undergo this 1-2 hour procedure. Less invasive also means less downtime and a shorter healing period.

Mini implants help denture wearers enjoy a dramatically higher level of denture security and improved chewing ability. However, patients can expect an adjustment period before they’ll be able to return to normal eating.

About Mansfield Dental Associates:

At Mansfield Dental Associates, Dr. Blair Jones and Dr. Seth Harris share the same vision and philosophy when it comes to patient care. We provide thorough, compassionate prosthetic dental services including traditional dentures and MDI denture stabilization. Contact our Mansfield, TX general dentist office at 817-473-6227 to schedule your next appointment.