From A Dental Disaster To A Winning Smile
Search for dental implants and browse the internet for information about the latest innovations and you may come across the term mini dental implants or MDIs.
Most of the information published on websites by providers that offer mini dental implants paints a picture that makes them a very attractive alternative option, claiming to encompass all the benefits of conventional regular dental implants and more. Perhaps if something appears too good to be true, it likely is.
Dental implants are considered the standard of care for the replacement of missing or non-salvageable teeth, and although they are a cost-effective modality of treatment due to their high success and survival rates, they still pose a significant financial investment.
So it is advisable to choose a dental team (surgeon and restorative dentistry) that has extensive training in surgical and prosthetic management of dental implants, as opposed to weekend warriors that learn the basics at a weekend course over a few days.
Don’t let the hype and marketing fool you when considering dental implants. Mini dental implants may have limited application in implant dentistry but they typically are not a replacement for conventional dental implants. Let a qualified specialist guide you through the process.
Learn more about Mini Dental implants and their limitations on our website.
Elisa presented for a consultation to treat her failing and painful mini-dental implants. Years prior, she received treatment after seeing an ad about mini dental implants that promised everything one would want to hear: "…painless, quick, minimally invasive, excellent esthetics and function at much lower cost…"
Fast forward 5 years and her mouth paints a very different picture.
The randomly placed mini implants were never restored with a prosthesis and they began to loosen, fail, and drop out, creating a very uncomfortable mouth. Eating was difficult and no longer enjoyable, and she was limited to soft foods that she could manage without teeth.
Elisa was clearly embarrassed by her smile and appearance, and the experience had taken its toll psychologically.
Since a prosthesis could not be fabricated to make use of these randomly placed mini implants, and essentially she had endured many years of toothlessness, an alternative treatment was the only option to restore her oral health and function.
Our first line of treatment involved the removal of all the mini implants which were the source of her discomfort, and then establishing new jaw relationships by fabricating complete dentures. This allowed her to get accustomed to having teeth once again and to change the posture of her jaw to a more ideal position.
Next, we treated her using the All On 4 dental implant solution. This involved placement of four (4) dental implants in each jaw. The position of each implant was precisely planned using pre-operative cone beam scans and intra-oral 3D images and placing them using a guided surgical technique.
The previously fabricated dentures were converted to immediate temporary fixed bridge prostheses that attach to the implants. After a healing period of four to six months, final permanent fixed prostheses were fabricated and delivered.
Now there is no impediment to eating foods she enjoys and it is always a pleasure seeing her show off her new beautiful smile.
Elisa's words...
"I want to thank the staff at Portland Perio Implant Center. They are artists creating masterpieces every day, bringing smiles back into our lives.
I noticed right away the dedication and meticulous attention to detail of Dr. Haghighat and his support staff. I began to realize that remaking a face with implant technology is a cooperative, creative medical art. There are many layers and types of technology needed to produce the final result. The skill of the lab technicians and the dental assistants, and the communication and organizational skills of the office manager are all necessary to produce the finished work. We, the patients, are the finished works! We are the finished works of all of these artists and of Dr. Haghighat - with his relentless pursuit of perfection on our behalf.
Dr. Haghighat and his staff understood that I had a large extended family and that we had been through a lot from my previous experience with a dental disaster. They listened to my concerns and the concerns of my son and daughter-in-law. Dani, Melissa, and Jen gave me extra support and encouragement. They did their best to address all of our issues even during the stressful days of the Covid epidemic."
