Mini implants and Hybridge are dental implant solutions with different purposes. The best option depends on your dental needs and treatment objectives. Consulting with a Hybridge dentist will help you determine the best solution based on your circumstances.
Mini Dental Implants vs Hybridge Dental Implants
Mini Dental Implants and Hybridge Full-Arch are both options for restoring missing teeth. Below is a breakdown of the key differences; however, it is best to consult a Hybridge doctor to understand which options make the most sense.
Mini Implants
Size:
As their name indicates, Mini Implantsare much smaller and narrower than traditional dental implants.
Purpose:
Minis were initially developed in the 1990s as temporary implants used only as a holdover to help stabilize dentures, while conventional "Root Form" implants were in their healing phase. Over time, dentists began to use them for longer-term treatment.
Today, mini implants are primarily used for stabilizing removable or partial dentures made to snap over the mini implants with snap attachments.
Advantages:
As a snapping mechanism, mini implants help to provide improved stability and comfort rather than traditional dentures with dental adhesives. The ease of insertion of minis typically makes them less expensive than conventional root-form implants.
Disadvantages:
Because mini implants are small, more are required than conventional root-form implants per jaw to compensate for their small size and anticipate the potential of increased implant failure over time. The cost advantage per implant is often less because of the increased number of implants required.
Mini implants are not recommended for supporting permanently fixated teeth.
Snap-on overdentures that use mini implants are more difficult to maintain over time. The snap attachments periodically wear out, and the dentures will crack due to stress points over the mini implants. Mini implants have a lower success rate over time than regular root-form implants.
Hybridge Full-Arch
Purpose:
They are designed for full-arch tooth replacement, offering a permanent solution for patients with consistently complex dental issues.
The Hybridge implant solution is a completely "fixed" bridge of 12 teeth. The teeth are not removable; therefore, patients report full dental function and comfort.
Advantages:
Because Hybridge implants are larger and, therefore, stronger than mini-implants, Hybridge teeth are fully supported on the implants and function more like natural teeth.
It provides a stable, natural-looking smile, eliminates the need for removable dentures, and improves chewing and speaking ability
Disadvantages:
Patients must learn to clean under and around a Hybridge Full-Arch bridge daily since it can’t be removed daily for cleaning like a denture.
Why Hybridge Full Arch instead of Mini Dental Implants?
Most patients today understand that dentures, even those that snap in, are inadequate to restore dental function and comfort. Hybridge teeth are superior in restoring a patient's chewing ability and confidence.
Who is a Good Candidate for Mini Dental Implants?
Patients wearing dentures don't mind that they are removable and sometimes are happier with adding mini implants, eliminating the need for dental adhesives. .
Which lasts longer, Mini Dental Implants or Hybridge Full Arch?
The scientific data shows that mini implants have a lower success rate than the conventional implants used with Hybridge. In the long term, Hybridge Full Arch patients will require less maintenance and cost compared to mini-implant denture solutions.
