Are Mini Dental Implants Right For You? Here's 5 Questions To Help You Find Out
Mini dental implants are titanium posts that are used to mount single replacement teeth or to hold a bridge in place. They resemble natural teeth in form and function far better than dentures, and as an added bonus, they don't need to be removed every evening and placed in a glass of denture cleaner. They're also far more comfortable than dentures, are easier to eat with, and they're usually durable enough to last for a lifetime. However, mini dental implants aren't for everyone for a variety of reasons. Your dental healthcare professional will be able to provide you with more information on whether or not you make a good candidate for having mini implants installed, but here are five questions to help you figure out whether they're right for you.
1. Are You in Good Overall Health?
Those who are in good overall health make better candidates for mini implants. It's not necessary to be in excellent physical health, but those with systemic diseases, auto-immune disorders, and uncontrolled diabetes may want to consider other options. Pregnant women are usually advised to hold off having implants installed until after the birth of their child.
2. Are Your Bones Finished Growing?
This varies by individual patients, but if your bones have not yet stopped growing, your dentist will probably recommend that you wait a few years before getting implants — and bones can continue to grow until around the age of 25.
3. Are You a Heavy Smoker?
Dentists are often reluctant to perform dental implant installations on heavy smokers because smoking reduces healing in the oral cavity. It's a great reason to quit that habit at last though, so ask your dentist to recommend a program designed to get you tobacco-free.
4. Do You Have Adequate Bone Tissue?
In order for implants to be successfully installed, the patient must have adequate bone tissue. Procedures exist for rebuilding bone tissue before the installation of mini implants, but they aren't recommended for all patients. You'll need to be in excellent health for this to work as well as make a significant time commitment.
5. Are You Committed to Practicing Optimal Oral Care?
If regular brushing and flossing are already a part of your oral care regime, you could be a good candidate for implants provided other conditions, such as those listed above, don't exist. Proper oral care is even more important when implants are a part of the picture, so if you're the type who often skips this, mini implants may not be for you.
For more information on denture implants, contact your local dental office.
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