Dental Implants &
Mini Dental Implants

Dental implants are dental restorations used to replace missing teeth. To replace missing teeth with dental implants, a titanium post is surgically placed into the jaw to mimic the properties of a natural tooth root. Titanium is a biocompatible metal. These titanium posts integrate with the natural bone and become a part of it, hence providing strong anchoring. The titanium posts are then attached to crowns or bridges, using an abutment, to restore the upper structure of teeth.

Why should you choose dental implants?

You should use dental implants for the various following reasons:

Bones are just like muscles and require stimulation to stay healthy and sturdy. When you lose teeth, the underlying gums and bones lose the stimulation. As a result, they start to reabsorb and dissolve. Dental implants are the only dental restorations that help preserve the bone structure by providing the required stimulation. Nothing feels, looks or functions as naturally as dental implants.
Dental implants keep your teeth healthy by evenly distributing the biting forces. All other dental restorations apply more force on the natural teeth and make them weak.
Restoring your smile with dental implants enhances your self-esteem, confidence, and the natural beauty of your smile. Dental implants also help in removing any kind of lisp.
Dental implants are more reliable and durable than any other dental restoration or tooth replacement. If properly cared for, dental implants can last for a lifetime.
Caring for your dental implants is very simple and does not require any extra-care regimen. Regular brushing and flossing are enough for maintaining your dental implants.
Dental implants do not weaken the neighboring teeth and preserve them in their natural form. With restorations like dental bridges, the neighboring teeth are filed and reshaped. Dental implants also prevent the neighboring teeth from tilting and shifting.

Our dental team at Bliss Dentistry in Campbell will help you get used to your dentures and give you back the life you used to have.

How are dental implants placed?

Dental implants can be successfully installed in the mouth in two visits to your dentist.

On the first day of your visit, a comprehensive examination is performed to calculate your oral health. The health of your gums and underlying bone structure is specifically checked to examine whether the bone will be able to support a dental implant or not. If you have enough bone structure to successfully support a dental implant, your dentist will begin with the procedure. The area where the implant needs to be installed is numbed using an anesthetic. An incision is made in the gums, and a titanium root is implanted in the jaw bone. An abutment or screw is attached to the root, and the gum is secured with stitches. The titanium root is given 3-6 months to fully integrate with the natural bone structure and heal.

You will be called for a second visit after you have completely healed from the minor surgery performed during the first visit. Your dentist will bond a custom-fabricated crown or bridge to the abutment to restore the full functionality of the tooth.

Our dental team in Campbell will be by your side from day one through the entire process. We will always be available to address any questions or concerns you have throughout this process.

Mini Dental Implants

Lost teeth can dent an individual’s confidence and also lead to an array of different oral health problems. Dental implants are an effective way of replacing lost teeth and restoring the aesthetics and functionality of teeth back to normal.

Partial or complete dentures, on the other hand, are the conventional restorative systems used when a patient loses one or more teeth. However, researchers suggest a majority of people using conventional dentures are unhappy with the restorative system. The unhappiness in patients is being closely linked with the discomfort caused by dentures and their failure to provide the functionality natural teeth do. Due to these reasons, dental implants are gaining traction as the stabilization mechanism for dentures. Studies have concluded that placing dental implants to stabilize dentures can enhance the quality of a patient’s life and preserve the jaw bone which would have otherwise been resorbed.

What are mini dental implants?

Mini dental implants are an effective alternative to conventional dental implants which are finding increasing usage in dental practices. Although dental implants offer a permanent way to replace missing teeth and stabilize dentures, there are multiple hurdles that can make the option unviable. Some of the factors which make dental implants an impracticable option are:

Lack of Bone Structure to Support Dental Implants

While patients who have recently become edentulous do not suffer from this problem, the patients who have been wearing dentures for a long period of time have resorbed bones creating a lack of the structure required to anchor the implants. In such cases, bone grafting becomes necessary. However, the procedure is expensive and complicated, deterring patients from opting for it.

Invasive and Complex Procedure

Patients receiving dental implants need to make at least two visits to the dentist and the procedure may require months for completion. In addition to this, the procedure can be painful and traumatic for patients. Consequently, significant healing time is required prior to the completion of the procedure. It is necessary for the patient to be in optimal health to undergo the complicated procedure which often becomes a factor behind dentists stalling the procedure.

The factors are discouraging for people who use dentures and may deter them from undergoing the procedure. Mini dental implants offer an attractive alternative that can overcome the problems faced by conventional dental implants while providing effective functionality. Ranging in size from 1.8mm to 3mm, mini dental implants are half the size of conventional dental implants.

What are the advantages of mini dental implants?

Mini dental implants offer the following advantages over their conventional counterparts:

This novel alternative to dental implants costs less than traditional dental implants.
Even in rare cases of mini dental implant failure, the patient does not require bone grafting.
The procedure required for fitting mini dental implants is substantially less invasive making the procedure less complicated and allowing patients to heal faster.

In addition to being an alternative to traditional dental implants, mini dental implants are the first choice of dentists in the following cases:

For replacing small teeth
For replacing front teeth
For replacing premolars
For replacing the teeth located in narrow areas of the mouth

What is the procedure to place mini dental implants?

The procedure involved in the insertion of mini dental implants is completed in a single visit to the dentist. Our dentists use local anesthesia or dental sedation to prevent the discomfort that may be caused while placing the implants. Because mini dental implants are placed into the bone with no sensory nerve endings located around the area, patients experience only minor postoperative discomfort and recover quickly. Dentists prescribe antibiotics before and after the procedure to ensure mini dental implants cause no infections and allow the bone to heal.

Mini Dental Implants for Denture Stabilization

The procedure involved in the insertion of mini dental implants is completed Single-piece mini dental implants are used as structures to stabilize dentures. The mini dental implant bears a small, ball-shaped component that fits into the socket of the denture providing the structure the required stability. The structure prevents dentures from slipping, clicking, or popping out. Generally, a total of four mini dental implants are required for creating a stable structure for the lower denture while six dental implants are used to secure the upper denture.

At Bliss Dentistry, we are here to help find the best option for you. We are here to discuss your options and help you decide what option is best for you and your current lifestyle.