Big Changes Are Possible With Mini Implants

If you have been reading our blog regularly, then you know we have discussed the benefits of dental implants multiple times.

Without question, dental implants are one of the best innovations in modern dentistry. They have opened new doors for patients to restore their smiles and their abilities to bite and chew food.

Implants can be used for multiple reasons, and they help people improve their quality of life in many cases.

We are glad that we can offer then at our dentist office in Columbia, SC.

But we also know that some people aren’t able to accept dental implants, which is why Total Dental Care of South Carolina offers mini dental implants , too.

Effects Of Lost Teeth

Your incisors are the sharper teeth at the front of your mouth. For practical purposes, they cut in your food when you bite.

Your canines are the pointier teeth to either side of your incisors. They grip your food and help to tear it apart.

Your premolars rest to the outside of your canines. The assist both with tearing and crushing your mouth.

Your molars are last, but certainly not least. These are the flatter teeth in the back of your mouth. They crush and grind your food so it can be digested more easily.

Teeth don’t function independently. They are a team, and they provide mutual support for the teeth beside them. When just one tooth is removed, the neighboring teeth may start to drift into the vacant space.

If those teeth move, this can weaken the support for the teeth next to them. This can start a slow but steady chain reaction of problems inside your mouth.

This is one of the reasons we encourage our patients to replace any missing teeth.

Lost and missing teeth do more than change your smile. They can also hurt your overall health.

Lost Bone Density

Below your gumline, your missing teeth are affecting you in a different, but equally important way.

If your tooth is removed or falls out, then you also lose the root of that tooth. The roots hold your teeth in your jawbone. They also provide stimulation to your bone. This stimulation leads to new bone growth, and that new growth keeps your bone strong.

This too is a mutually supportive relationship. Your roots keep your bones strong, and your bones hold your teeth in place.

Without a root to provide stimulation, your bone will start losing density. In just 12 months, you can lose up to 25 percent of the bone mass in an area with a missing tooth.

If you are missing multiple teeth, you will understand how this can affect your jawbone.

As you lose bone mass, this can change the shape of your face, which can take on a “sunken in” appearance.

This may affect what can be done to help you, too. If you lose too much bone mass, then we may not be able to place dental implants in your mouth.

Mini Implants To The Rescue

In some cases, patients can receive a bone graft to prepare their mouths to receive dental implants. This involves cutting healthy bone from one part of your mouth and adding it to an area with low bone density.

If the procedure works, it may be possible to place a dental implant after your mouth has healed.

Rather than going through two separate procedures, you may want to consider mini dental implants.

Mini implants are about half the diameter of a traditional implant. As a result, they can be placed in bones that may not be able to support a full-sized implant.

And like traditional implants, mini implants can be used for multiple reasons.

Mini implants can be used to replace a single tooth by supporting a dental crown.

Mini implants can be used to replace multiple teeth by supporting a dental bridge.

Mini implants can be used to replace a complete arch of teeth. Four or more mini implants can be used to support a set of dentures. This can greatly improve your bite force compared to dentures alone.

Know Your Options

Missing teeth are a problem. They can hurt your self-esteem. They can hurt your ability to enjoy a meal.

But no matter how bad your situation may be, the team at Total Dental Care of South Carolina will do everything that we can to restore the appearance and the function of your teeth.

Even if traditional dental implants won’t work, mini implants may provide the solution that you need. To learn what options may work for you, call our dentist office in Columbia, SC, at 803-272-4162 or use our online form to schedule a consultation.

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