You’ve likely heard the words “Say cheese!” right before a picture. The common phrase is thought to have first been used in the 1940s when people started smiling in portraits. Some even theorize that Franklin D. Roosevelt said it to a trusted advisor who then popularized the term. While we can’t be certain of the meaning, many believe that saying “cheese” forces your mouth into a natural smile, making it easy to pose for a picture. But what if you’re uncomfortable smiling in photos due to missing teeth? Though saying cheese may be commonplace to some, it may be difficult for others who are too embarrassed to smile in pictures. Fortunately, St. Apollonia Dental has a solution to tooth loss that will have you smiling proudly! Using mini implants, a dentist can restore your smile to its fullest potential.
Mini Implants 101
Dental implants are titanium posts that we place into the jawbone to secure restorations that replace your teeth. At St. Apollonia Dental, we utilize two types of dental implants.
Conventional dental implants are around 5 mm in diameter and have many components. These incredibly stable implants provide excellent support for your crown, bridge, or denture. However, they are large, which presents a problem for many patients.
After losing a tooth, you slowly begin to lose jawbone mass and volume due to the lack of tooth root stimulation when you bite and chew. Amazingly, implants act as artificial tooth roots once placed, preventing jawbone loss.
Unfortunately, bone loss often makes patients ineligible for a conventional implant, as they don’t have enough jawbone left to support the titanium post. While additional procedures like bone grafts can replace some of that missing bone, they add to both the time and cost of your procedure.
The other type of implant we use at St. Apollonia Dental is a mini dental implant. Mini implants are less than 3mm in diameter and are one solid piece of titanium. Although these implants are much smaller than conventional ones, they are just as stable!
Mini implants are a great choice when a patient is ineligible for a conventional procedure but wants to avoid a bone graft. Due to their smaller size, we can place them in patients with less jawbone structure to restore their missing teeth!
At your free consultation, we will discuss your goals and perform a dental X-ray to evaluate your jawbone, helping us determine which implant is the best fit for your smile. While mini implants are not the best option for every case, they feature amazing benefits that make them a great choice for patients like you!
The Mini Implant Difference
Conventional implants are a very common and reliable method of tooth replacement, so why would a dentist use mini implants?
Mini implants have a sleek design that offers many advantages for patients. These include:
- Smaller size: Because mini implants are so small, they require much less bone structure for us to place. This not only makes them more accessible to patients but also more affordable, as you often don’t need a bone graft for mini implant procedures.
- Minimal invasiveness: Due to their smaller size, we use a minimally invasive procedure for mini implants. Without incisions or stitches, your gum and bone tissue remain largely undisturbed, which allows for much faster healing.
- Immediate results: Mini implants heal much faster and have a unique, one-piece, threaded design. Because they are only one piece, we place them in a single appointment. Additionally, their threaded design and minimally invasive procedure allow mini implants to secure a temporary restoration immediately after placement!
- Lower cost: Because mini implants are only one piece, require fewer appointments, and rarely need a bone graft, they’re often less expensive than conventional implants!
Let a Mini Implants Dentist Help You Love Your Smile Again!
At St. Apollonia Dental, we believe that everyone should be able to smile proudly. With mini implants, we restore your smile to ensure you’re ready the next time someone says, “Say cheese!”. With their many incredible benefits, you can enjoy a faster, less invasive, and less expensive tooth replacement procedure.
Book a free consultation to learn if you are eligible for the mini implant difference!
