All-on-4 dental implants is a minimally-invasive solution for dental implants. This system offers a fixed full-arch restoration that has been very well received by patients so far. The first treatment took place in 1998, when Dr. Paulo Malo treated a patient with the successful All-on-4® treatment. The All-on-4 dental implants were designed by Nobel Biocare implants, and till now, hundreds of thousands of patients have been treated successfully with this implant treatment.

What Is The All-On-Four Dental Implant Treatment Concept?

The All-on-4 Dental Implants treatment replaces missing teeth using fewer dental implants than traditional methods. This treatment concept provides patients with a graft-free, totally cost-efficient full-arch fixed prosthesis that uses only four implants. Two of the implants are titled to 45 degrees in the posterior and two straight implants are fixed into the anterior region of the mouth.

All-on-4 Dental Implants Treatment versus Traditional Implant Treatment

The traditional method for replacing teeth requires 8-10 implants per jaw; sometimes five or six implants are required on the upper jaw alone owing to lower bone density. Whereas in the All-on-4 technique only four implants are used.

What are the Features of All-On-4 Dental Implants

Instead of being inserted vertically, the rear implants are titled and inserted at a 30-45 degree angle. What this means is that even if the patient has undergone bone loss due to accidents or old age, he or she should be eligible for an All-on-4 treatment. The All-on-4 treatment helps patients avoid the expensive and lengthy process of bone grafting, as it is totally graft-free.

The All-on-4 dental implants are inserted within a day, in a single sitting. This greatly reduces treatment time and increases patient comfort and convenience. The speed of the treatment is a drastic improvement on the time-consuming traditional implant procedures. The traditional methods can go on for a duration of 6 months or more, owing to extensive recovery time after each step in the implant process.

What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of the All-On-4 Dental Implants

All-on-4 dental implants offer several patient benefits over removable dentures and traditional implants, as follows:

Advantages of All-on-4 Dental Implants:

• A relatively short duration of treatment and recovery.
• Teeth can be extracted and implants can be fixed in place one the same day
• The All-on-4 implant process uses a comfortable and stable structure that supports bridges and crowns.
• These implants are fixed in place, unless dentures that need to be removed for cleaning.
• Since the implants are fixed, they will never fall out as dentures tend to do.
• The All-on-4 treatment is suitable for everyone, including patients with jaw bone loss
• This treatment is much more cost-effective than the traditional implant techniques that make use of 8-10 implants.

Disadvantages of All-on-4 Dental Implants:

• While the All-on-4 dental implant treatment is very effective, the results may not be as good as with traditional implants.
• A few patients have complained about hissing noises that arise while speaking, along with expulsion of spit
• It is not a fully customized solution and some dentists see it as a short cut treatment option compared to traditional methods.
• If a single implant fails, it can cause problems with the entire jaw.
• The artificial gum bridge that the All-on-4 implant process uses may feel bulky in the patient’s mouth.

The All-on-4 Dental Implants vs. Regular Dentures

Traditionally, removable dentures have been used to replace a full jaw of teeth. Dentures contain a gum-colored acrylic base and the teeth are made either from porcelain or resin. The amount of acrylic in the conventional dentures offer great support to traditional dentures. The dentures fit over the gums in the mouth and stay in place with a simple suction technique. If the dentures fit well, they shouldn’t require any adhesive to sit properly.

However, over time the dentures become loose owing to bone shrinkage, which changes the shape of the mouth. This means dentures need to be replaced every few years or so which makes them a little high maintenance.

In contrast, All-on-4 implants are totally fixed in place and there’s no danger of them falling out, or becoming loose because of bone loss. They look totally like natural teeth and offer optimum chewing and aesthetic comfort. Dentures cover a large area of the mouth’s natural gum while the prosthetic All-on-4 teeth are fixed to an artificial gum. The place where the artificial gum joins the real gum is hidden so far behind the lips that it’s just not visible when the patient smiles.

Conclusion

Both the traditional dental implants and the All-on-4 dental implants involve drilling of sockets into the jaw bone. However, the All-on-4 dental implants require much fewer implants which make the process quicker and, definitely more comfortable. Also the entire jaw is fitted with brand new implants in just one day, which affects the cost. All-on-4 is a much cheaper, much easier and more convenient treatment when compared to traditional implants and dentures of any kind.

Want to know more about the All-on-four dental implants in Livonia, Michigan? Contact our Livonia dentist to know more about All-on-four dental implants treatment cost and procedure. Call us at 734-522-5520 to schedule free initial consultation.