mini implant / micro implant / screws

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#1 Post by **scrubalinda** » Fri May 20, 2005 1:42 pm

After many years of debate, I have finally decided to get braces.

My ortho wants me to get a mini implant installed. Basically from what I understand, is it's like a tiny screw that he will use has an anchor to move a tooth that is totally out of alignment. It's a way to pull the molar forward without pulling against other teeth, which would pull those teeth back.

I was just wondering if anyone has any of these mini implants and what their experience was. I go in next week for an evaluation from the oral surgeon. After that I will get it installed and then I can start with the spacers and getting the braces put on.

#2 Post by **scrubalinda** » Tue May 31, 2005 4:07 pm

I'm surprised nobody has had this.

Here's a link to one of the manufacturers.

http://www.imtec.com/demo/ortho_product.php

#3 Post by **crustybread** » Tue May 31, 2005 11:54 pm

Didn't see your post earlier.... I was searching for microscrews rather than micro implants when I looked around before mine went in!

I have two of these on the inside of my gum, i.e. in my palette, between the molars at the top left and right. They were put in under local anaesthesia and took no time at all, and there was no pain.

They really speed up movement - since the 18th May when they went in, my gaps have closed by about 1mm each side already and I was expecting a 1mm per month best rate of movement. Doubling that rate is very nice indeed.

Good luck!

#4 Post by **scrubalinda** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:06 am

Thanks for responding.

I just heard back from the oral surgeon yesterday. He doesn't think there is enough space to put the screw where the orthodontists wanted to put it. So, the oral surgeon wants to put it it my palate somewhere behind my incisor I think.

He mentioned that since it goes in the palate, that there will be stitches. My big concern I guess, is it really annoying to have this metal screw sticking out of the roof of your mouth? Like, does it affect your speech and eating? Guessing since yours are a little further back, it may not be such an issue for you.

I am scheduled to get my spacers July 6, so I am assuming they want me to get the implant before then... or at least before they put on the braces a few weeks later.

Thinking I'm probably going to just do it. Guess I just wanted some reassurance that it's not going to be horrible.

#5 Post by **crustybread** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 6:29 am

Not counting the wisdom teeth, mine are between my two furthest back molars. They don't affect anything and I've not heard about stitches... perhaps that's for when they come out.

In terms of what they feel like, if you put your finger and try to wiggle it around, it feels a bit uncomfortable, but day to day the screw heads don't protrude as far as the lingual brackets anyway, so they aren't in the way at all.

When they put them in for me, there were two bouts of drilling per screw then the third time the screw actually goes in and they tighten it up. It will be pretty uncomfortable for a couple of days, but I didn't need painkillers because it wasn't as bad as it was cracked up to be. Just ate omelettes with bread and soups so no hard chewing was required.

My orthodontist thought telling me that he puts these screws in for 12 year old girls would make me less reluctant to have them - my reluctance was based on it being a non-essential violation of my mouth rather than fear! But if it makes you feel better, now you know - 12 year old girls have these microscrews and apparently don't want them taken out when the time comes! You needn't worry.

#6 Post by **mistake56** » Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:43 pm

This is the treatment which is being done on my daughter. It is nothing short of miraculous!

The Use of Skeletal Anchorage in Open Bite Treatment
http://www.angle.org/anglonline/?reques ... &page=0381

#7 Post by **crustybread** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 12:39 am

That looks a lot more hardcore than what I have... Mine are literally screws that were drilled into my palette. No cutting, just drilling a smaller hole for the self-tapping screw to go into was all that the doc required.

#8 Post by **scrubalinda** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 7:24 am

Well, I have made my appt for July 1 to get this mini implant (screw thingy) put in. I am going to do it under local anesthia (how ever you spell that

). I will let you all know how it goes.

#9 Post by **crustybread** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 7:30 am

Good luck - you'll be fine.

Had my first elastics changed on the microscrews yesterday actually.

It was a little uncomfortable as the palette is prodded around (rather than a tooth where the other brackets are attached) to hook out and hook on the little bands, but the discomfort is no worse than biting some hard food after having a brace tightened...

...and we can all handle that, right?!

Also, in this first month the teeth have moved 1.5mm or so, which is way more than the 1mm estimate I was quoted.

#10 Post by **scrubalinda** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 8:40 am

Wow, that's really reassuring!

Question: When you say "no pain", what exactly does that mean?

I've always been a self-proclaimed wimp, but am slowly trying to build up my pain threshold. I used to hate going to the dentist because I would be wincing so much and holding my breath; the dentist always thought I was going to pass out. Over the last few years, I don't mind the dentist's office nearly as much, but then again, I've never had any issues, just normal teeth cleaning and sealants.

Just wondering what to expect. The oral surgeon gave me the option of local or general anesthesia, but I think I will just go with local because I think I want to know what's going on when they are doing it.

#11 Post by **crustybread** » Wed Jun 22, 2005 8:45 am

No pain.... the doctor shot me up with novocaine or lidocaine or whatever they use these days, then left me. Then he came back and started doing bits and bobs in my mouth which I couldn't feel. Hence no pain!

The injections are over before they start pretty much. At one point I felt a pang of ver mild, very distant feeling (not even discomfort) which was more than I wanted to feel, so asked to be shot up more - and they gave me another couple of shots.

By the end I couldn't flare my nostrils and my eyelids were numb when I blinked. Even my forehead was a little tingly.

Any doubts, ask for more anaesthesia....

#12 Post by **scrubalinda** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 7:50 pm

Well, guess I forgot to tell you how it went.

I went back in the room, and right before he was about to start, I almost lost it. I overheard the oral surgeon on the phone with my orthodontist discussing placement and I started feeling like no one knew what they were doing. I felt like I was a test subject. The assistants reassured me and the surgeon made some jokes to make me more comfortable.

I decided to just do it. He gave me some lidacaine and immediately I felt some sort of burning sensation in my nose. That went away, and before I knew it, he was done. He basically made a little hole in my mouth and screwed in the post. Like you said, no pain. I never felt any pain with that; not that night, not the next day, not next week. Getting the implant so far has been the easiest part of the whole process.

Here you can see the mini screw when I got my spacers.
July 2005

Here you can see how they tied this really rubbery string from the post to the molar.
August 2005

And this is what it looked like a few months later.
October 2005

You can tell how much it moved by comparing it's placement to the molar next to it or by looking at the distance between the tooth and the screw. I think in the next few weeks I will be having the screw removed because the hook on the molar is almost touching it. I'm very excited.

#13 Post by **crustybread** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 6:06 am

Nice pics!

I had 2 implants between my rear two molars at the top, attached to the canines to bring them back after the two first premolars were removed. Will try to get pictures as well.

Just an FYI - had the screws removed last week and they don't use anaesthetic, they literally just unscrew it. It really doesn't even hurt as much as fitting new wires and elastics though, so DON'T SWEAT IT!

Also, my ortho used springs between the screws and canines because elastics lose their elasticity and need to be changed, whereas springs remain tense throughout the duration.

#14 Post by **scrubalinda** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 8:04 am

BigEyedDave wrote:Quick question that might not be so quick.

Why didn't you pull that tooth and have a dental implant installed in its proper place?

Just seems to me like getting that tooth in the right place is going to take a while and that mini implant is pretty invansive.

That was an option, but the mini implant is really not invasive at all and my dentist and orthodontist thought it would be best to try this route first since all my teeth are healthy. The dental implant is definitely the quicker option, but why not try to get the real tooth there first. It hasn't even been 4 months yet and that tooth has moved a ton. I'm very hopeful I made the right choice.

#15 Post by **greencapt** » Wed Nov 16, 2005 8:10 am

Yet another procedure that I knew nothing about that looks way cool! If only I had been able to get ortho care many moons ago.

Good luck and it looks like its well on its way!

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mini implant / micro implant / screws

mini implant / micro implant / screws

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