PROSTHODONTICS - SIGNIFICANCE OF MINI IMPLANT

• 15 May, 2020

Santosh Dental College and Hospital was set up in 1995 and has over time become one of the prestigious educational institutions of the state in dental education activity. It is located in Santosh Nagar, Pratap Vihar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. The college strives in full earnest to train aspirants in becoming a proficient and skilled dentist by offering them training of the highest standard in all fields of various dental specialties. The college is associated with Santosh University.

 Each department at Santosh Dental College has a dedicated team of faculty members who train students by organizing academic lectures, projects, workshops, and hands-on training programs. Prosthodontics is the dental specialty involving crowns, fixed partial dentures, removable partial dentures, complete denture, maxillofacial prosthesis, and implant prosthesis.

The mission of the Department of Prosthodontics is to educate undergraduate and postgraduate students to attain thorough skill and competency in the specialty of prosthodontics. Santosh Dental College and Hospital serve dental health needs of not only nearby residents but also get patients from far and wide by offering dental treatment with an experienced dentist. 

 Dental Implants have had a tremendous impact on the dental field and have opened new treatment concepts in restorative dentistry. The aging population is accelerating the need for implant treatment. Within the implant category Mini dental implant represents a promising treatment modality that has significant potential for growth. Mini Dental implant is relatively simple to learn and perform. It’s a minimally invasive procedure that can be easily completed in the dentist's office. The cost of a mini dental implant procedure is significantly affordable making it an attractive option for many. Mini Dental implant is fabricated with the reduced diameter and shorter length but made with compatible material like any other dental implant. 

 Mini dental implants are smaller and easier to place which leads to a much more affordable option for patients too. They can also be used to secure a bridge over the top of your teeth or a pair of dentures. Bridges and dentures are some options for patients who are unable to receive a traditional dental implant. Typically patients don't choose Mini dental implants because of lack of awareness. It is an option for patients who aren't candidates for a traditional dental implant but it still allows them to replace one or multiple teeth so they don't have to go without a full smile. A mini dental implant can be placed in one visit and may even be able to use their new teeth that day as well. Implants are inserted into the jaw bone with an external screw. A mini implant is a solid one-piece screw with a smaller diameter while completion of standard implant treatment can take several months. The major benefit of mini dental implants is that they can be used if pt has lost a lot of jawbones as well. If too much of jaw bone is lost then standard implants are feasible with bone graft surgery. In this scenario, mini implants deliver the perfect solution as they are designed to eliminate bone grafting. The implant also provides an option for those who cannot tolerate or are unwilling to undergo Complex surgery. 

Mini dental implant versus traditional dental implant:

1. A mini dental implant is significantly smaller in diameter than traditional implants Whereas standard implants range from 3.5 to 6 millimeters, the Mini implant can be anywhere from 2 to 3.5 millimeters wide.
2. Unlike the traditional implant which features two pieces: a post and an abutment; mini implants are one solid piece that screws into the bone. On top of the device is a ball-shaped protrusion that helps support the dentures. Typically the denture has a rubber O ring that slides over the ball-shaped part.
3. A mini implant can be placed in a single office visit. Traditional implant often requires 2 surgical procedure. The 1st surgery is more extensive and invasive than that of the mini implant. The second surgery is minor and involves uncovering the post and attaching the abutment.
4. The mini implant usually cost less than traditional posts because they are smaller and made with less material. However number of mini implants required maybe more in case of multiple teeth rehabilitation.

Indication:

1. An overdenture prosthesis as an alternative treatment when standard implant placement is not possible.
2. Limitations regarding the placement of standard implants.
3. Patients with Limited economic capabilities.
4. For rehabilitation of the teeth in a narrow ridge.
5. When the facial - lingual width of the bone is insufficient for the placement of a traditional implant.
6. In the atrophic posterior mandible.

Contraindications:

1. Uncontrolled diabetes
2. Clotting disorder
3. Anticoagulant therapy
4. Metabolic bone disease
5. Chemotherapy or Radiation therapy
6. Chronic periodontal inflammation
7. Insufficient soft tissue coverage
8. Systemic disorders like osteoporosis
9. Uncontrolled parafunctional habits like bruxism

By    SREETAMA CHATTERJEE

 DEPT OF PROSTHODONTICS