miniSKY
miniSKY is bredent's mini implant, used principally to stop a removable denture from moving. It is a different device from a standard implant, for a different purpose.
At a glance
- Type
- Mini implant
- Primary use
- Retaining a removable denture
- Attachment system
- Docklocs
- Family
- Part of the SKY range
- Result
- A denture that clips in, still removable
- Not intended for
- Heavily loaded fixed bridgework
What this is for
A lower full denture is notoriously difficult to keep still, no palate for suction, constant tongue movement, and often very little ridge left to grip. Mini implants placed in the front of the lower jaw give the denture something to clip onto.
The denture still comes out for cleaning and still rests partly on your gums. But it stops moving while you eat and speak, which for many long-term denture wearers is the single largest improvement dentistry can offer them.
Docklocs
Docklocs is bredent's denture attachment system. A stud on the implant engages an insert in the denture, and inserts come in different retention strengths so the grip can be tuned, firm enough to hold, loose enough that you can still take it out.
Those inserts are wearing parts. They need replacing periodically, typically every one to two years depending on use, each time a short appointment with a modest fee. This is normal and not a defect, but patients are often not told about it up front. Ask what replacements cost before you commit, and factor a decade of them into your comparison.
The limitation to be clear about
Mini implants are narrow and generally one-piece. They are designed to retain dentures, not to serve as foundations for fixed crowns and bridges under heavy load. If a practice presents mini implants as a cheap route to fixed teeth, that is a misrepresentation of what they are for.
The honest question is whether you have enough bone for standard implants, and what that route would cost. Fixed teeth on standard implants is a different treatment at a different price, and if that is what you actually want, you should be comparing against it directly rather than being steered by cost alone.
Questions worth asking your dentist
- Am I a candidate for standard implants instead, and what would that cost?
- How many mini implants are you placing, and why that number?
- How often will the Docklocs inserts need replacing, and what does each cost?
- Will my existing denture be adapted, or do I need a new one?
- Do I have enough bone width in my lower jaw for standard implants?
- Will you record the implant diameters, lengths and attachment type in writing?
Related systems
narrowSKY
A two-piece narrow implant that can carry a crown.
blueSKY
The standard implant for fixed restorations.
References
- bredent. SKY System Presentation. Document 000250GB.
- bredent. Docklocs. Document 0091114GB.
- bredent. Technical Data. Document 0091008GB, February 2025.
Specifications compiled from bredent's publicly available product literature and Canadian product pages. Manufacturer performance claims are identified as such. DentalImplantInfo.ca is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by bredent. bredent, SKY, blueSKY, copaSKY, whiteSKY, narrowSKY, miniSKY, BioHPP and Docklocs are trademarks of their respective owners, used here for identification and educational purposes.