Hi timeless,

Denture implants are the same thing as dental implants and are placed surgically into the jawbone. The size of the implant is chosen according to the needs of the patient. The anatomy and health of the bone is taken into consideration along with the reason for placing the implant. Mini implants are simply a small dental implant that is frequently used to help secure a full denture in patients who may be lacking enough bone depth for a larger dental implant.

The cost of most denture/dental implants are similar irrelevant of which ones are used. The mini implants may be a slight bit less expensive per implant, but you may need to have more of them depending on the bone structure.

The price of the implant retained denture is more expensive than a regular denture because it is more complex and more costly to fabricate than a regular denture. Sometimes, an existing denture can be altered by the dental lab to accomodate newly placed dental implants. It depends on how old and how well the denture fits in the first place. This too can be very costly to do.

The usual process for an implant retained denture .......

The teeth are removed. Sometimes implants are put in immediately, other times the extraction sites need to heal for a few months before the implant surgery can be done.

A regular temporary denture is worn during the healing phase of the extractions and then again during the healing phase of the implants.

A new denture is made to snap into the implants and that denture is placed after the tops of the implants are surgically exposed.

All of this can take 6 months to a year (or so) to complete.

The fees for an implant retained denture vary according to the geographical area and lab costs. Your best bet is to speak to your dentist about what type of implants he thinks may work for you and what options you have with regard to having an implant retained denture made.

I hope this information is helpful to you. Please let us know how you are doing =)

Bryanna