It sounds promising: Small implants that you can get inserted without lengthy surgery, that are cheaper, and furthermore you can wear your dentures immediately after insertion. But are they the ideal alternative to conventional implants?
What are mini implants?
These are implants that are only a few millimeters thin in diameter and significantly shorter compared to conventional dental implants.
They are developed to offer you an implant and improve your quality of life, even if a major operation is not possible for your health or if you have a severely degraded jawbone. The MDI (Mini Dental Implant) from IMTEC is known.
How does the procedure work with mini implants?
MDI is screwed into the jawbone in a minor operation at the dentist’s without a complex operation. They can be loaded immediately after implantation. Therefore, you can place a temporary prosthesis on these implants immediately after the treatment so you can eat normally. However, these implants can only be fully loaded after 4-6 months if the implantation has been successful.
How are mini implants structured?
The structure is very simple: These small dental implants are usually one-piece instead of comprising several parts like conventional dental implants. As a result, they are usually cheaper.
When are mini implants used?
These dental implants are suitable to offer prostheses a more stable anchorage in the jaw. They are suitable for use both in the upper jaw and in the lower jaw. They are usually not suitable for replacing individual teeth or fastening bridges because they are not stable enough. You can only use these implants for exceedingly small bridges and narrow gaps, especially in the anterior region of the lower jaw.
Even if MDIs sound very tempting to you, they are not an alternative to conventional dental implants.
Advantages and disadvantages of mini implants
The advantages of the implants briefly:
- suitable for patients with reduced jawbones
- suitable for patients for whom no major surgery is an option
- relatively cheap material: titanium
- Significant improvement in the wearing comfort of full and partial dentures
The disadvantages of the implants briefly:
- hardly suitable for individual teeth and bridges
- not suitable for front teeth in the upper jaw
- low stability: risk of breakage
- lower stop: risk of loss
- no alternative to conventional implants
To whom is a mini implant suitable for?
Many people do not get along well with removable full dentures. It attaches the removable prosthesis to the mini implants and is much more stable in the mouth but remains removable.
MDI IMTEC implants are not to be understood as an alternative treatment to conventional dental implants, but as a supplement for patients who cannot be supplied with normal implants.
You can benefit from mini implants if your bone has already broken down very much and bone augmentation is not possible for you. In such a case, implants with a regular diameter would not be an option for you. Mini implants can also be implanted in a very narrow jawbone.
They could also be useful for the patients when major surgery is not possible for health reasons.
However, since the hold and stability of mini implants are limited, patients should only resort to them if conventional implants are not suitable for them.
Mini implants are suitable for you if you:
- want a better fit of their prosthesis
- have a very thin jawbone
- cannot get normal implants inserted
- would not tolerate extensive surgery
What costs do you have to expect with the implants?
If mini implants are right for you, you can expect significantly lower costs than conventional implants.
The costs are determined by:
- the dentist’s fee
- the implant itself, the material
- the implantation
A single mini implant is available from € 1,100 to € 1,500.
In most cases, however, you do not get a single implant, but a completely new restoration for one or both jaws. Here 4 – 5 of the small screws are inserted and the existing dentures reworked, or a new prosthesis are made.
For a removable denture in an edentulous jaw on 4 to 5 mini-implants, you must reckon with about € 2,500 – 3,800 total costs.
Does the health insurance company cover the costs for mini implants?
The statutory health insurance companies do not cover the costs of the implants themselves, but you will receive a fixed allowance if your dentures are newly made.
If you are privately insured or have additional dental insurance, the subsidy depends on your contract conditions.