dental implants & orthodontics: Mini Dental Implant Placement, Use and Protocols PART 2 By Josh Brower DDS, MIAMDI, FAASDI Fig. 1 I n the last issue of the Journal, I covered indications for use and availability of mini dental implants in orthodontics and their use in general dentistry. In this issue I am going to cover mini dental implant placement, use and associated protocols. As both orthodontic and general practitioners we are constantly seeking new and better ways to serve our patients. Mini dental implants will allow many procedures that have been referred out in a dental practice to be kept in office making your patients and your bottom line happier. With a better bottomline comes new and creative solutions to problems that dentists previously had not been able to solve satisfactorily. This article will show some of the creative solutions available. CRA newsletter author and noted practitioner Gordon Christensen lectures that if something is better, faster and cheaper it is here to stay regardless of the current opinion to the contrary by some practitioners. Mini implants fall squarely into that definition for many reasons. When I used mini implants for the dual purpose of a TAD (temporary anchorage device) and then concurrently in the longterm support for a pros-thetic crown, I found that mini's met Dr. Christensen's criteria for something that is here to stay. In addition to their use in orthodontics mini dental implants can also be used in general dentistry for denture stabilization, stabilization of periodontally involved teeth, stabilization of fixed prosthesis as "sleeper" implants, salvage cases, bridges, and full mouth reconstructions. 1,2 Mini implant placed in 1969 next to periodontally involved teeth for stabilization with photo 20 years later (1989) still outperforming the natural teeth (Cour-tesy Dr. Martin Spiller Townsend, MA) Dr. Victor Sendax popularized the use of mini implants in multiple instances and published a wonder-ful text in 2012 titled "Mini Dental Implants". His text covers all of the previously mentioned uses and would be a great addition to any practitioner wishing to continue learning about their uses and indications that go beyond the scope of this article. When I would use mini dental implants vs. conven-tional size implants? As modernization takes place in medicine patients 32 Fall 2014 JAOS
Journal of the American Orthodontic Society Fall 2014: Page 32
