Basic Description of Mini Dental Implant

Step by step description of surgery

On the day of Surgery, the dentist determines the correct position for each of (generally) four or more implants and then marks the position for each on the ridge with an indelible marker. Anesthesia is injected into the gums directly over the spots he/she made on the gums. Then the dentist begins to drill right through the gums into the bone using a 1.1 mm pilot drill in a slow speed handpiece.
After drilling the pilot hole, The dentist then begins the procedure for inserting the implant through the gums into the drilled hole. He begins by carefully aligning the implant with the original pilot hole and slowly twisting it with a finger wrench until the resistance becomes too great to continue easily. Then the dentist switches to a thumb wrench. The thumb wrench is slowly twisted until the implant is fully seated with the ball and about 1.5 mm of the shank remaining above the gums. (In the images here, a special retraction device retracts the tongue, lips and cheek so the field is kept clear and dry.)

If too much resistance to twisting the implant is met, the dentist may switch to using a specially designed ratchet wrench to finish the insertion.

The finished case looks like the images below. This is the same case viewed head on, and again, from above, using a mirror. These images were taken immediately post op. Note the lack of bleeding.

At this point, an impression of the case is taken and detailed procedures for the fabrication of the dentures or bridges are obtained.

Special thanks to Dr. Martin Spiller

Edentulous Jaws for Mini Dental Implants

Before the treatment










After the insertion of implants


The patient is 36 years old, female. She is wearing her dentures most of her adult life. According to her, after learning that there is an alternative and modern innovation in dentistry, she decided to have her case done with some minies and therefore, the patient underwent the dental procedures and protocols.

Advantages of implants over traditional dentures and bridges make them the best choice for this purpose. Fortunately, the awareness in the general public about dental implants and their advantages has increased significantly. This has motivated many dentists to become more knowledgeable and offer this treatment to their patients.

Mini Dental Implants for Elderly

Before the treatment

After the insertion of the

Mini Implants on the lower arch

The patient is 62 years old, male and stands 5 feet and 9 inches. He came to the clinic for second opinion on dental management and procedure. The patient was aware of the two types of implants, the conventional and the mini dental implants, he opted for the mini dental implants because of its "non-invasive" procedure. According to him, he was advised that some teeth at the upper jaw should be extracted due to exposure of the roots and the patient opposed on the suggestion because he knew that once teeth are extracted the normal masticatory activity will be hampered.

Having dental implants is like having a new set of natural teeth. With all the comfort of eating, talking, and socializing without the fear of embarrassment, the individual’s self image is tremendously enhanced. By preventing bone loss, often through bone repair and replacement, implant procedures significantly improve facial esthetics. Chewing forces are directly transmitted to the jawbone, which helps patient’s chewing awareness. With dentures, the roof of the mouth (palate) and all gum surfaces are covered, which prevents taste and chewing reception. A healthy bone structure is vital for intact overlying facial muscles. By preventing facial bone loss, dental implants maintain the integrity of facial muscles.

The goal of modern dentistry is to return patients to a level of oral health that they are accustomed to. Patients who lose teeth and use fixed or removable dentures may be unable to recover normal function, esthetics, comfort, or speech with these traditional restorations. An implant restoration can return the function to near normal. An implant stimulates the bone and maintains its dimensions in a manner similar to healthy natural teeth.

Three Mini Dental Implant Placement

Before the placement of mini implants










After the insertion of the mini implants


In today’s modern dentistry, the best acceptable solution for tooth loss is dental implant. From the replacement of single missing tooth to extensive reconstruction and replacement of several or even all teeth, dental implants offer the healthiest and most intelligent solution.
The primary reason to consider dental implants to replace missing teeth is the maintenance of valuable facial bone. The dental implant placed into the bone serves not only as an anchor for the new teeth or to stabilize dentures, but it also serves as one of the best preventive procedures in dentistry. The chewing forces are transmitted to the bone surrounding the dental implant that stimulate bone growth and maintain density and volume. Implants should be placed at the time of extraction to immediately stop bone loss. Delaying implant placement, after extraction, will only cause significant bone loss and eventual complications resulting in the need for bone graft. Research has concluded that most bone loss occurs in the first year following extractions.

Single Tooth Mini Implant

Before the implant
Lower Right First Molar








After the implant

In today’s modern dentistry, the best acceptable solution for tooth loss is dental implant. From the replacement of single missing tooth to extensive reconstruction and replacement of several or even all teeth, dental implants offer the healthiest and most intelligent solution.
This patient wanted to have one mini implant on her right lower first molar. She is 40 years old. She finds difficulty to chew her food properly. She underwent the proper procedure and had her mini implant. For two years now she comes to the clinic for regular dental check and it is successful with no adverse effect.

Multiple Mini Dental Implant Placement

Before the implant

After the implant

The patient is a female, 33 years old. She came in to my office complaining of improper fitting of dentures and fixed bridges. She wanted to have several mini implants on the missing teeth. After preparing her for the procedure, history taking on medical and dental was done. Panoramic x-ray taken and premedicate her for the procedure. Patient consent was done after explaining the advatanges and the disadvantages of the mini implants as we all know that nothing is permanent. After the mini implants were inserted into the patient's mouth, she was ask to observe proper oral hygiene. A recall was done for the construction of the procelain crowns and bridges. Regular check-up is done every six months thereafter.

The MDI System consists of a miniature titanium implant that acts like the root of your tooth and a retaining fixture that is incorporated into the base of your denture, The head of the implant is shaped like a ball and the retaining fixture acts like a socket that contains a rubber O-ring. The O-ring snaps over the ball when the denture is seated and holds the denture at a predetermined leve of force. When seated, the denture gently rests on the gum tissue. The implant fixtures allow for micro-mobility while withstanding natural lifting forces.

The standard insertion protocol for mini dental implants calls for four of them to be gently screwed into the front of a patient's lower jaw. This is a relatively painless procedure that can be performed by a general dentist, requiring only a mild anesthesia. The mini dental implants, which are approximately the size of wooden toothpicks, are placed about five millimeters apart in the patient's mandible. The patient's denture is then carefully adjusted by the dentist to allow it to snap onto the four mini implants. The result? A tight fitting, completely reliable system that allows a patient to speak and eat with confidence. The Mini Dental Implants are placed in about an hour's time. Because of the unique, minimally invasive procedure, the minute size of the implants, and the characteristic placement area, the typical Mini Dental Implant patient can enjoy a light meal an hour or so after having the mini implants placed. Further, a denture patient who has had his or her prosthesis stabilized with MDI can remove and replace the denture easily after a little practice, and can easily utilize good dental hygiene. All in all, the MDI is quite satisfying.

If a denture patient has sufficient bone mass to create a rock hard placement of the tiny implant, which an experienced dentist can usually determine by an initial examination, the mini dental implants will generally withstand normal chewing forces just like natural teeth. Fractures are extremely rare, but as the case with a person's normal teeth, can certainly occur.