Tooth loss has several effects which impact your oral health, your overall health, and your quality of life. Simple tasks like eating and speaking become more difficult. Your smile deteriorates. Your confidence falls. Dental implants, which we offer at Ford Dental Group, are the most popular option available for replacing missing teeth. However, they require sufficient bone mass for stability. If you lack the necessary bone mass for an implant-supported denture, you may be a candidate for All-on-4® Treatment Concept.
What Is All-On-4®?
Regular implant-supported dentures use 6 to 8 implants to support your replacement teeth. If you have lost too much bone mass, your jaw may not be able to successfully support all of these posts. Even the failure of one post compromises the whole restoration. The All-on-4® treatment uses only four implants to support your replacement teeth. The success of this treatment is not the number of implants, but rather their placement. Two posts are implanted vertically at the front of the jaw, a location where there is naturally more bone mass. The other two posts are implanted at the back of the jaw, each inserted at a 45-degree angle. This angle maximizes contact between the posts and your existing jawbone, increasing the chances for successful osseointegration.
What Is A Dental Implant?
Dental implants are a modern alternative to traditional tooth replacement treatments. They can be used to replace any number of missing teeth from a single tooth to an entire arch. This treatment relies on small titanium posts. These posts are surgically implanted into your jawbone. The bone fuses to the posts, integrating them into the jaw in a process known as osseointegration. Successful osseointegration turns the posts into roots that are then used to securely anchor your replacement teeth in place.
Why Do I Need All-On-4® Dental Implants?
While dental implants provide an ideal solution for tooth loss, they rely on your jawbone for success. When you lose your teeth, the process of bone loss follows. This is because you lose the stimulation in your jaw that your teeth once provided. If you have lost too much bone mass, there may not be enough to support the posts. This can lead to loose implants or even complete failure to integrate, both of which compromise the integrity of your restorations. In many cases, the loss of too much bone mass would require a bone graft before implants can be placed. If you are missing an entire arch of teeth, however, you may be able to avoid a bone graft with All-on-4®.
What Are The Benefits Of All-On-4®?
All-on-4® implants offer a whole host of benefits, including:
- You need less surgery. This means that your procedure is shorter.
- Your recovery period is shorter.
- You do not need to have a bone graft surgery, or a sinus lift surgery, before undergoing implant surgery.
- You avoid traditional dentures.
- You get all of the same benefits as a regular implant-supported denture, including comfort, ease of care, and the preservation of your jawbone.
