I need four dental implants across the top front of my teeth. One dentist suggested a much higher price than the other. It turns out that the higher priced one is doing big implants and the other is doing mini implants. Are there cons to getting the mini ones?
Terry
Dear Terry,
I’m glad you asked this question before moving forward. While the mini implants are more affordable and that is likely why that one dentist suggested them, they will not be able to sustain your dental crowns. That is too much weight. Eventually, those implants would fail and you’d never really know it was because your dentist shouldn’t have used that to begin with. So, if they don’t work with dental crowns, what are they used for?
The purpose of mini implants is to help stabilize a denture. There are many patients who lose all their teeth, but cannot afford implant-supported dentures. In those cases, we may recommend mini implants as a means of helping support their dentures. It’s not ideal, but it is better than just having completely removable dentures. It also helps them with the effects of facial collapse, even if just a little.
In your case, I would recommend you go with the full-sized implants. It may be possible to do, instead of individual implants a dental bridge that is anchored with two to three full-sized implants.
The key is to be certain you are going to a dentist who has post-doctoral training in dental implants and they have a good success rate. I wouldn’t go to anyone with less than a 95% success rate. Additionally, if the dentist isn’t the one who is doing the surgery and he sends you to an oral surgeon. Make certain it is the dentist who determines the placement of the implants and not the other way around.
This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.
