How long do mini dental implants last?

When Mini dental implants first came onto the market, they were regarded as temporary implants but studies now show that Mini dental implants have success rates comparable to conventional implants. Conventional or traditional larger diameter implants should last 20 years and this is the same with Mini dental implants.

When looking at the various studies clinically, it is noticed that many Mini dental implants lasted much longer than this because there were ideally suited for the particular situation such as narrow ridges or to provide stability for dentures.

The situation is now fast approaching that dentists should routinely be asking patients if they would prefer mini dental implants instead of traditional dental implants. Mini dental implants have many advantages as long as the situation is carefully chosen.

Mini dental implants are much more common now than there were even five years ago. At first, they were mainly used by ordinary general dentists instead of dental implantologists. Specialised Dental implantologists initially shunned these type of implants however even now they are starting to use them increasingly on a day-to-day basis.

There are now many studies which compare mini dental implants and traditional or conventional dental implants. The overall consensus is that mini dental implants can last at least as long as traditional or conventional dental implants. Dental implants should last 20 years. Just as a way of comparison, an amalgam filling on a back tooth will last approximately 10 years.

On a posterior tooth, a composite resin restoration will last slightly less at eight years. When we are looking at crowns, a typical dental crown will last between 10 to 15 years. A dental bridge to replace a lost tooth will last slightly less at between 10 to 12 years. By now you will get the impression that there is no such thing as a dental treatment being permanent.

Mini dental implants were first marketed as being temporary implants. One of the early dentists who started to place many implants noticed that some patients never came back and when they did eventually come back after a long time, he noticed that the mini dental implants which were initially placed as a temporary solution which was still functioning well.

As a result, mini dental implants were modified slightly to make them more in line with the traditional conventional implants. If mini dental implants are used in the correct situations, they can last as long as traditional implants and even much longer.