Mini Dental Implants in Southfield, MI

Tooth loss is a common problem that affects many Americans, and it becomes more prevalent as we age. In fact, 1 in 4 adults ages 65 and older has 8 or fewer remaining teeth, and 1 in 7 has lost all of their teeth. Missing teeth can impact your daily life in ways you might not realize until you’re experiencing them firsthand. You may struggle to eat certain foods, experience oral health issues, or feel embarrassed about the way your smile looks. Fortunately, mini dental implants are a stable, long-lasting solution that restores your smile’s function, health, and appearance.

With mini dental implants, our team at Aesthetic Dental creates new opportunities for patients who once believed dental implants weren’t an option.

Understanding Dental Implants

Mini dental implants and traditional dental implants share the same goal: to replace missing tooth roots and create a stable base for a crown, bridge, or implant denture. Both implant types anchor in the jawbone, providing a more secure solution than traditional dentures or bridges.

Mini Dental Implants in Southfield, MI Book a Free ConsultationHowever, to fully appreciate the benefits of mini implants, it’s important to understand how they differ from their larger predecessor. Traditional dental implants consist of a screw, averaging about 5 millimeters in diameter, that connects to a separate abutment (a connecting element).

Because of these large, separate pieces, the conventional implant procedure unfolds in multiple stages.

Since traditional implants require a strong jawbone for support, many patients need a bone graft to rebuild the bone before implant placement. After a few months of healing, we then embed the implant body in the jaw using traditional surgical techniques. The patient then waits at least 3 months for the implant to fully integrate with their bone. Finally, after all these steps, we can connect the abutment to the implant and attach the artificial tooth.

While effective for some people, this lengthy, multi-step process increases treatment time, costs, and the risk of complications. Fortunately, mini implants eliminate these concerns while offering several other advantages.

What Are Mini Dental Implants?

Mini dental implants are a narrower and more streamlined version of traditional implants. They consist of a single post with a screw on one end and an O-ball connector on the other. The artificial tooth then attaches to the O-ball end with a rubber ring.

These implants measure less than 3 mm in diameter, making them a great option for patients with bone loss and those who prefer to avoid bone grafting.

However, just because mini implants are smaller doesn’t mean they’re weaker than standard implants. Though they’re only about as wide as a toothpick, their titanium design makes them both durable and dependable. They offer lasting support for crowns, bridges, and dentures.

The Benefits of Mini Dental Implants

At Aesthetic Dental, we offer mini dental implants because of their many advantages, which include:

  • Same-day process: While traditional implants require multiple visits and procedure steps, we can place mini implants in one visit, thanks to their unique design and small size.
  • Minimally invasive procedure: Placing smaller implants isn’t just faster—it’s also less invasive. Rather than requiring incisions and stitches, we use more gentle techniques, prioritizing patient comfort throughout the process.
  • Mini Dental Implants in Southfield, MI | Restore Your Smile AffordablyFaster results: Because mini implants cause less tissue disruption during placement, they stabilize in the bone more quickly. This shortens your overall treatment time, allowing us to restore your tooth in just a few weeks, rather than several months.
  • Quick recovery: The minimally invasive placement technique for mini implants facilitates faster healing. Most patients experience minimal discomfort and return to their routines within a day or two.
  • More affordable: Mini implants cost less than standard implants due to their simpler design and efficient treatment process.
  • Durable and effective: Constructed from medical-grade titanium, mini implants are just as durable as conventional implants despite their smaller size. And with a single-piece design that eliminates micro-spaces, they offer a better defense against bacteria buildup.

The Mini Implant Process

The process of getting mini implants is simple and streamlined from start to finish.

Free Consultation

Your treatment journey begins with a free, no-obligation consultation.

During this visit, we’ll discuss your dental concerns and review your medical history. We’ll also perform a dental exam and take advanced CBCT X-rays. These precise 3D images allow us to evaluate the condition of your teeth, gums, and jawbone.

The information we gather from this visit helps us assess your eligibility for mini dental implants and determine the best solution for your smile. After discussing your preferences and budget, we will then tailor a personalized treatment plan to address your needs.

Implant Placement

To place your mini dental implants, we will first administer a local anesthetic. This numbs the treatment area, making you feel more comfortable throughout your procedure. At our office, we prioritize patient comfort, so you can rest assured that we’ll make the implant process as stress-free as possible. If you need help relaxing, we also offer oral conscious sedation or nitrous oxide (laughing gas).

Once the area is fully numb, we carefully create a small guide hole through the gum and into the jawbone. Using this as a path, we gently place the mini implant into the bone. The mini implant process is incredibly simple and efficient, allowing us to place your implants in just one appointment.

After securing the mini implants in your jaw, we will mount the temporary or final restoration, giving you a brand-new smile! If you’re wearing a temporary, we’ll replace it with your fully functional, final restoration in just a few weeks.

Financing Options for Mini Implants

While mini dental implants are more affordable than traditional implants, we recognize that costs remain a concern for many patients. At Aesthetic Dental, we’re committed to making quality oral care accessible to everyone.

We partner with third-party lending partners, such as CareCredit and Proceed, to offer flexible financing options. These financing companies help patients manage out-of-pocket costs, splitting their treatment costs into more affordable monthly payments.

If you have questions about insurance or financing, we invite you to schedule a free consultation at Aesthetic Dental. Our experienced team will review your options and help you find a plan that works with your budget.

Transform Your Smile With Mini Dental Implants

Whether you’ve lost one tooth or a full arch, mini dental implants can restore your smile. These innovative titanium posts hold your new teeth firmly in place, giving you lasting results you can trust. With mini implants, you can look forward to eating, speaking, and smiling confidently once again!

Ready to restore your smile and quality of life? Schedule a free implant consultation at Aesthetic Dental today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Tooth replacement with mini dental implants will restore your bite force, but it’s important to watch what you eat in the first few days following your procedure.

As your bone heals around the implants, it’s best to avoid hard foods or anything with small seeds. At Aesthetic Dental, we provide implant patients with a detailed aftercare and recipe guide filled with helpful tips and safe meal ideas. Following these steps will support your healing and help you get back to enjoying all your favorite foods sooner!

Even after your implants have fully healed, proper care ensures they last as long as you need them to. While the implants themselves won’t decay, good oral hygiene keeps your gums, jawbone, and surrounding teeth healthy—an important part of long-term implant success.

Daily brushing, flossing, rinsing, and regular dental checkups at Aesthetic Dental will help keep your smile strong and healthy.

In many cases, mini dental implants let you skip the bone graft altogether! Their slim design allows them to stay secure even in areas with minimal bone. This means fewer procedures, lower costs, and a faster path to restoring your smile.

However, every patient is different, and some may still require a bone graft. During your free consultation, we’ll take a 3D X-ray to determine the quality of your bone and determine your unique needs.

At Aesthetic Dental, we use a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable throughout the procedure. And while we place mini implants using a minimally invasive technique, we understand that some patients need extra help relaxing for their treatment. That’s why we also offer nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation. These options help ease anxiety and create a calm, stress-free experience.

Because mini implant placement is much gentler than conventional implant placement, you can expect a faster and more comfortable healing experience, too.

However, if you want to heal like your younger self, we offer L-PRF to accelerate recovery. By using the natural healing properties in your own blood, we create a membrane that supports healing at the treatment site. After implant placement, L-PRF treatment can help you recover more quickly and experience less discomfort.

If you feel a little sore after your mini implant procedure, don’t worry. Most patients find that over-the-counter pain relief works just fine.