Northern Beaches Mums Group
Northern Beaches Mums Group

What are all-on-4 dental implants?

If you have damaged or missing teeth, you may be considering dental implants surgery.

Traditionally, the procedure replaces the root of the tooth with metal posts to secure the dentures permanently in place. This means you won’t have to worry about taking your dentures in and out of your mouth. Your new ‘teeth’ will be fixed.

However, there are risks associated with dental implant surgery. If your jawbone isn’t thick enough, or is too soft, you might need bone grafting before you undergo the procedure. It can take a long time to recover from bone grafting, and may expose you to a greater risk of infection.

In 1988, the first patient underwent all-on-4 dental implants, at the hands of Dr Paulo Malo. Using Nobel Biocare dentures, the all-on-4 treatment doesn’t require bone grafting. Downtime is minimal, and the procedure has a 98 per cent success rate.

Why choose all-on-4?

Many patients choose this procedure because it’s an effective way to replace all missing teeth in under 3 days. The treatment is:

  • Cost-effective
  • Virtually pain-free
  • Highly successful

Patients experience minimal downtime ? meaning they can get back to work and life within a matter of days.

How it works

By placing two parallel front implants and two back implants, tilted at 45 degrees, these implants provide support for the entire jaw. When applying all-on-4 dental implants, no bone grafts are required, and the procedure can be completed within 1-3 days.

The 45 degree tilt also optimises teeth distribution, so dentists can fit up to 12 teeth in the final implant. Once the implants have been fixed, patients who qualify can have their new acrylic restoration prosthesis (teeth) applied immediately after surgery.

Why it’s so popular

It’s the least time-consuming treatment option for dental implants, and, as a result, it’s the least painful. Because it takes less time to perform the surgery, it’s one of the most cost-effective treatment options ? especially when compared with other methods of applying dental implants.

And, at dental clinics like The Point Dental, you can pay for your all-on-4 dental implants in flexible installment options. The clinic can even help you apply for early access to your superannuation for your dental work.

Who needs all-on-4 dental implants?

You may be a good candidate for all-on-4 dental implants if you suffer from:

  • A periodontal disease
  • Numerous missing teeth
  • Weak bone density

All-on-4 can be performed on patients who can’t get dental implants due to diabetes, osteoporosis, or other health conditions.

If you are only missing a few teeth, and your remaining teeth are healthy, then you may not be a good candidate for all-on-4 dental implants. Your dentist will take into account your dental history and concerns, as well as any lifestyle factors which may play a role in the future health of your teeth, such as smoking cigarettes.

What’s the difference between all-on-4 and traditional implants?

Both solutions fix new dental implants to the upper and lower jaw, and are a stable solution. However, the main difference between the two lies in how many implants need to be inserted. With traditional implants, a dental surgeon will have to insert 6-10 implants. But with all-on-4, you only need (you guessed it) 4.

Recovery time for traditional dentures takes around 12 months, while with the revolutionary all-on-4 treatment method, patients can get back to normal life within a week.

In conclusion

All-on-4 dental implants are the perfect solution if you suffer from periodontal disease or only have a few remaining teeth. The procedure is more affordable than other dental surgeries, and involves minimal downtime so you can get quickly get back to doing the things you love ? with perfect, white new teeth.