Mini Dental Implants in the Stabilization of the Complete Mandibular Removable Prosthesis

Abstract

Mini-implants represent a therapeutic alternative to conventional implants as they were proposed following the Mc Gill consensus. Their installation is faster, relatively simpler, reducing the postoperative course. Clinically, their use improves chewing and comfort. In the long term, the complications are fairly comparable to those encountered with prostheses using additional retention using conventional implants. In conclusion, this therapeutic solution represents an alternative to conventional implants, which can be proposed in response to the difficulties experienced by patients with unstable removable prostheses. The rehabilitation of a totally edentulous, resorbed mandible, with conventional removable prostheses, constitutes a very difficult challenge for the practitioner and often gives poor results in terms of satisfaction, comfort, stability and masticatory efficiency. Following the publication of the Mc Gill consensus of 2002, implant therapies appeared and became indisputable and uncontested. However, in some patients, the placement of so-called standard implants proves to be impossible due to the complexity of the protocols, the surgical consequences, sometimes an insufficient quantity of bone or even for economic reasons. In this context, the existence of mini-implants offers an interesting therapeutic alternative in totally bi-maxillary edentulous patients, wearers of complete maxillary removable prostheses and only in these cases.