The average cost of mini dental implants is about 60-70% lower than that of conventional implants.
The main reason for this difference is the much lower cost of placing mini dental implants for the dentists, who can pass some of these savings to the prices offered to their patients.
Pricing | Advantages
| Risks | Average Cost
Mini dental implants cost less mainly because of the following reasons:
- faster procedure - they are placed in one stage and allow immediate loading, which saves valuable office time for the dentist
- simpler procedure - the surgical dental implant procedure is simpler, without the need of specially trained staff or special equipment
- lower material cost - the actual implant manufacturer cost is much less for MDIs
- lower training cost - due the simplicity of the procedure, mini dental implants do not need the same costly learning and training as conventional implants.
At one third of the price of standard implants, many refer to MDIs as 'the cheap dental implants'.
But that is not their only advantage:
- The mini implant procedure is very fast. Unlike standard implants, mini dental implants allow immediate loading.
The procedure can be completed in a few hours and the patient can return home with fully functional implant retained dentures, without waiting several months for osseointegration as with standard implants.
- The surgical part of the procedure is much simpler, due to the smaller diameter implant. Less or no incision of the gums is needed, much smaller hole has to be drilled in the bone.
- The implant surgery is much less invasive therefore there are less chances for surgical errors such as damage to nerves or sinuses.
Even if such a condition occurs, it can be corrected much easier due to the smaller size of damaged area.
- Post surgical complications (pain, bleeding, surgical trauma) are very limited when mini implants are used.
- Small diameter implants can be placed in jaw areas without enough jawbone width, where standard width implants can not be placed without the need for bone grafting.
- Mini dental implants offer a simpler solution that is less technically demanding for the dental professional.
Many implant dentists now prefer the use of mini dental implants, when possible, over standard dental implants due to the simplicity of the procedure,
the smaller risks involved and the less requirements in terms of learning and experience.
- Mini dental implants technology has allowed many dental professionals with no or minimal surgical training to be able to offer implant treatment to their patients.
- Mini dental implants cost is up to 60-70% less than traditional implants due to the simpler and faster procedure and the lower material costs.
They can offer a low cost solution for those seeking for affordable dental implants.
- Existing dentures may be adjusted for use with mini dental implants.
Mini dental implants can not substitute regular implants in every case. Some restrictions apply, which when violated may cause dental implant failures.
- Mini dental implants are approved by FDA only for lower jaw denture stabilization. They are not yet FDA approved as substitutes of standard implants in other cases.
- more MDIs are needed for denture stabilization. The minimum for the lower jaw is 4 mini implants when only 2 are needed if standard width implants are used.
- MDIs do not perform as well in the upper jaw which has usually less bone density. If mini dental implants are used for upper jaw, a larger number is needed (10-12 MDIs).
- mini dental implants are solid. If the implant head wears off due to daily use after some years the whole implant has to be extracted and replaced. With conventional implants only the abutment has to be replaced.
- There is no guarantee to the longevity of mini implants. It still depends on functional load and how your bone reacts to its existence.