All-on-4 dental implants are creating a huge buzz in the world of restorative dentistry, and for good reason. They represent a revolutionary, almost ‘magic’ way of replacing a full arch of missing teeth. People with substantial tooth loss can now look forward to having a healthy set of teeth once again—teeth that are not only attractive but functionally superior to a drill-and-fill ‘restoration.’ An All-on-4 patient can pretty much forget about ever having had missing teeth, and the method offers so many cool advantages that it’s hard to list them all in one go.
The All-on-4 Technique
This technique is an advanced way to completely replace the upper or lower set of teeth. It uses just four implants placed in strategic positions. The system was devised as a way to enable patients to afford the very expensive implant procedure. The All-on-4 technique uses four implants to do the work of not just eight but sometimes even twelve.
Initial Consultation and Planning
A new smile starts with a consultation. The first appointment might be a few hours, and in that time, the doctor will do a complete work-up. The dentist will look at you from every angle. He might use a mirror for a look inside your mouth or see how you look with your lips closed, open, or in a big grin. With the addition of digital imaging and 3D scans, no detail about your current or desired smile will be missing. Every bit of information will be used to plan the most precise placement for the dental implants that will support your new teeth, allowing you to smile however you like for many years to come.
Immediate Loading: A Standout Feature
All-on-4 implants have one feature that makes them stand out above other full-arch replacement options, which is the opportunity to give someone a whole set of beautiful, functional teeth that same day. This happens because of something called immediate loading. When a surgeon finishes softening the bone to put implants in, he or she can work with the restorative dentist to place the temporary set of teeth into the patient’s mouth. This kind of collaboration used to be something you mostly just saw in firing ranges, and the process can be said to have similar levels of pixie dust—it actually works.
Cost-Effectiveness and Rapid Treatment
With just four implants per arch, the All-on-4 system lowers the cost compared to traditional implant methods relying on the All-on-X (number of implants varies) system, which can require more implants and bone grafting procedures. The strategic advantage of anchoring those temporary teeth to the implants on the same day makes for a very rapid treatment and, therefore, a short clinical timeline for the patient. The All-on-4 system offers many improvements over the traditional All-on-X system in terms of dental appearance and functionality despite being anchored by fewer implants. And all of this happens with an improved cost structure, too.
Preserving Jawbone Health
All-on-4 implants hold the jawbone in their human embrace, keeping it tight and renewing its life force. With types of old bridges, we had to cut down anything that existed next to them so we could put the bridge in place—we don’t like doing that. Why ruin a perfectly good tooth, if you could renew the life of a bridge with an implant? From a practical standpoint, this South American bridge in question must be filled with whatever the patient desires as a foodstuff; otherwise, it’d be no good to the person from a nutritional standpoint.
A Promising Future
All-on-4 dental implants are a major step forward in restorative dentistry, and they hold the promise of being an infinitely better tooth replacement solution. As the art and science of restorative dentistry advance, and as this potential for growth is unleashed, my best guess is that All-on-4 is going to become an even more remarkable solution; a solution for which the alternatives are poor substitutes, a solution that offers the promise of being a complete and accessible solution, a promise that suggests ever better delivery of a viable and truly transformative way to address intractable tooth loss.