Also called “full arch” implants, the All-on-4 approach is a recently implemented dental procedure that provides new-looking teeth with one minor surgery. The procedure involves using four screws, or implants, that fuse to the jawbone and attached to a new set of teeth.
Before All-on-4, patients were required to go through a yearlong preparation before teeth could be replaced with implants. Now, instead of requiring that every tooth be fitted to an implant, All-on-4 allowed an entire arch – or set of teeth – to be fixed to just four implants. The new procedure takes one surgery with sedation: you leave the office with a fully functional set of teeth, the same day. Because the implant screws are made of titanium, they fuse to the jawbone, allowing for more stability in your new set of teeth.
Is the All-on-4 procedure right for me?
You may be a candidate if you:
- Have several missing, cracked, broken, or damaged teeth
- Have periodontal (gum) disease
- Have experienced trauma to your teeth or jaw
- Have damaged gums or jaw muscles
Benefits of All-on-4
If you’re on the fence about the All-on-4 procedure, consider the following benefits to alternatives like one-to-one implants, in which each new tooth requires its own implant, or to other temporary fixes like veneers, which can wear off and may not provide solutions to dental issues like a weak jaw or an improper bite.
The All-on-4 method is:
- Cost-effective, time-effective
- Less invasive (only four implants, instead of one for each tooth)
- Quick: the procedure takes one day, and recovery only takes a little over a month before normal eating habits can be resumed
- Long-lasting, since implants are fused to the bone and last a lifetime
- Aesthetic and functional
- Better for your jaw (implants are placed at an angle, which lessons jaw tension during biting and chewing)
Complications
Complications are uncommon for successful All-on-4 procedures, and most often arise when patients don’t care for their implants properly. This can lead to infections or implants that don’t fuse properly to the bone. Such issues can arise if you:
- Smoke or chew tobacco
- Have diabetes
- Don’t brush or floss properly
If you are considering All-on-4 dental implants, contact TruBlu Dentistry today to see if they are right for you!