Mini dental implants: an adjunct for retention, stability, and comfort for the edentulous patient.
OBJECTIVE
This article examines the success of mini-dental implants (MDI'S) by assessing four subjective measures of patient satisfaction for MDI's in the edentulous maxilla and mandible: comfort, retention, chewing ability and speaking ability. Success rates, surgical techniques, and financial advantages of the MDI's are reviewed.


METHODS
Thirty consecutive patients received four MDI's between the mental foramen of the mandible from 9/18/2003 to 10/22/2004. Questionnaires were sent to all thirty patients an average of 5 months postoperatively. The patients ranked comfort, retention, chewing ability, and speaking ability from 1 to 10 (1=poor and 10=excellent).


RESULTS
A total of 116 MDI's were placed in 13 months and 113 remain stable for a 97.4% implant success rate. Pre-operatively patients rated their retention at 1.7+/-0.42 and post-operatively at 9.6+/-0.37, for a difference of 7.9 (p=3.6-19). Comfort was the next greatest improvement, with a pre-operative rating of 2.2+/-0.63 and a post-operative rating of 9.4+/-0.45, for a difference of 7.2 (p=3.5-15). Chewing ability also improved, with a difference of 7.0 (p=2.9e-16). In the final category of speaking ability, the pre-operative to post-operative difference was 3.2 (p=1.1e-5).


CONCLUSIONS
MDI's are a highly successful implant option for patients with poor tolerance to maxillary and mandibular prosthesis. The implants are relatively affordable and overall patient satisfaction is excellent.
Griffitts
Trevor McClain
TM
Collins Oral Surgery, PS, Spokane, Wash 99204, USA. griffitts@msn.com
Collins
Chad Patrick
CP
Collins
Patrick Charles
PC
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods; D015921:Dental Implants; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D008904:Miniaturization; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D015921:Dental Implants