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Oral implantology has become a major discipline within the field of dentistry. Small or mini dental implants have demonstrated success in the retention of removable and fixed prostheses. Small-diameter implants (SDI) and mini-diameter implants (MDI) describe a group of implants that demonstrate a diameter less than 3 mm. This retrospective study reports on 335 SDI placed during a 7-year period. All implants were placed in healed sites (>6 months) and loaded immediately or after waiting 3 months. A total of 321 implants were restored and functional within the study's time interval. A total of 14 implants failed, resulting in a 96.1% implant success rate. Treatment plan considerations should include prosthetic design, specific arch, and immediate load. Overall, SDI can be utilized as an alternative implant treatment option for patients with atrophic bone, compromised medical histories and financial constraints.
Key Words: small-diameter Implant, mini dental Implant, 1-piece, auto-advance
Abbreviations
BIC: bone-to-implant contact
MDI: mini-diameter implants
PRF: platelet-rich fibrin
PRP: platelet-rich plasma
SDI: small-diameter implants
Introduction
Implant dentistry has become a well-recognized discipline of dentistry by oral care practitioners. The field has demonstrated predictable long-term outcomes while meeting patient expectations.1 Although conventional diameter implants (3.3-6.0 mm) remain the primary choice, SDI or MDI (1.8-3.0 mm) have emerged as an alternative option for patients with minimal bone.2,3
Small-diameter implants received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for long-term usage for complete dentures, removable partial dentures, and multi-unit fixed prosthetics.4 Histological and clinical studies confirmed that osseointegration was achieved, similar to conventional diameter implants in regards to bone-to-implant contact (BIC) values.5,6 Small-diameter implants are characterized as 1-piece and a diameter size range of 1.8 to 2.9 mm. The implant is manufactured from Ti alloy (Ti AL VN), which provides strength from fracture. The threads are blasted and acid is used to etch and increase roughness, and a transgingival collar with micro threads facilitates soft tissue adherence (3M ESPE, St Paul, Minn).7 An o-ball or square head prosthetic design serves as the retentive feature.
The body of evidence-based research associated with conventional diameter size implants is vast;however, SDI studies are limited.8 This paper is a retrospective study of 335 implants placed in a private office by a single clinician between April 2009 and June 2016. The implants...