Mini-implants in orthodontics: a narrative review of the literature

Abstract

Mini-implants appeared in Orthodontics as one of the answers to the challenges that the Absolute Anchorage Systems demanded. Several internal and external oral devices were developed, however, the first devices launched were not easily accepted by patients and it became necessary to decrease their collaboration during the process without affecting the development of a necessary solution. Mini-implants gained prominence in supporting several complex orthodontic techniques and began to be used more and more as an anchoring method due to its numerous advantages such as their clinical versatility as it can be made especially for orthodontic procedures or for simple fixation of the osteotomy. The success of these devices is in their small size that exponentially increases the places where they can be inserted, they are easy to install and remove which ends up making the process simpler, faster, and cheaper than traditional processes. Orthodontic force is applied immediately to the mini implant or shortly after its installation and the patient receives special hygiene instructions to increase the maintenance of pre-implant health. In this biographical review I will analyze  the use of mini implants in Orthodontics, their application, existing models, and their constitution, also investigating the possible degradation and toxicity of their materials.