Mini Dental Implants: Best Retention Solution for Upper Dentures?

I do not recommend Mini implants as they are associated with frequent failures, particularly in the maxilla (upper jaw) where the quality of bone is usually less dense. I suggest to avoid them and use conventional implants that provide 98% + success rate.

Mini Dental implants work well in the mandible to retain a lower denture. With adequate bone, they also work beautifully in the maxilla. The best retention would be gained from a screw-retained or cemented prosthesis. The trade off is cost those options are likely to cost ten times a mini dental implant option. Increasing the number of implants used can also increase the retention. In the case of the mini implant upper denture, 4 implants might give good retention but 6 MDI’s might be better. It may also possible to use 8 minis for denture retention. Different implants offer different retention options. The 3M/IMTEC MDI implant uses a ball that snaps into a housing with a rubber gasket. Other options include ERA or Locator ‘snap type’ retainers.There may also be other custom options available.The ‘Best’ really means the best option YOU have and typically boils down to 3 things:1. How much bone is available for implants and thus if additional bone grafting will be needed to achieve your goals.2.How you want to function/live your life – do you want something that stays in for good, do you want to eat like you have natural teeth etc.3. How much can you afford – add more implants and more complicated treatment protocols and more time from the dentist means more money…and maybe a lot more.So, determine your goals for treatment and the cost and treatment time of the alternatives and make your decision that way. Also, in my dental office in Buffalo, NY I use a Cone Beam CT scan which I think is essential in the assessment of dental implant treatment options.Hope this helps.Dr. Ben Benjamin D. Oppenheimer, DDS