All-On-4® Dental Implants - Willow Pass Dental Care - Concord

The All-on-4® dental implant is an innovative restoration procedure that has revolutionized the way surgeons, and prosthodontists go about replacing a full set of damaged or missing teeth. Standard dentures are unsecured prostheses that bring along inherent limitations. Most often, dentures are painful, inconvenient and unstable which often make chewing foods difficult thereby limiting the foods that you once enjoyed. Today there are better options available. The All-on-4 dental implant treatment replaces your missing teeth with a full dental bridge supported by only four dental implants. With fewer implants needed, overall treatment time and cost is reduced. The unique All-on-4® dental implant concept ensures greater stability in the bone, reducing the need for bone graft surgery to increase bone volume. Typically, a temporary set of teeth can be placed on the same day of surgery. The temporary teeth allow you to lead a normal life immediately after surgery. After a short healing period, your prosthodontist will place the final bridge. The result --- your quality of life is improved! You can begin enjoying your favorite foods once again with renewed confidence.

All-On-4® Dental Implants: An Innovative Full-Mouth Solution

Partial and complete edentulism, or the lack of teeth, as a result of tooth loss is a major problem for many Americans. The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) estimates that 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth. An astonishing 40 million Americans suffer from complete edentulism and are missing all of their teeth! One-third of all adults over the age of 65 have no natural teeth. As an interesting economic aside, research shows that tooth loss results in $63 billion dollars of lost productivity globally as a result of dental downtime.

On a more personal level, tooth loss can have profoundly adverse effects on the emotional well-being of many individuals. As perhaps one of the most visible signs of aging or a lasting reminder of a traumatic incident or period of illness, missing teeth can engender feelings of sadness, fear, and even depression.

Tooth loss bites.

However, there are solutions to the problem of missing teeth. Surveys show that although untreated edentulism had a negative emotional impact on most subjects, 90 percent those treated for their edentulism with prosthetics reported acceptance of their tooth loss and higher levels of satisfaction. Did you know that it is entirely possible to replace all of the teeth on either your lower or upper jaw with only four total implants? Indeed, All-On-Four dental implants offer a third solution, a middle path if you will, between the two common conventional treatments for tooth loss and missing teeth: individual dental implants and traditional dentures.

All-On-4® Dental Implants vs. Dentures and Traditional Implants

Individual dental implants were once the gold standard for the effective treatment for tooth loss. Individual implants mimic the natural look and function of natural teeth, last a long time, and offer better comfort. The process, however, is incredibly time-consuming, labor intensive, and as a result, prohibitively expensive. Individual dental implants are also not right for everybody. For the titanium screws that are embedded into the jaw to fuse properly with the jaw, there must be sufficient bone already in place.

Traditional dentures are one of the most common and most economical solutions to tooth loss. 5.25 million sets of complete dentures are made every year for those suffering from edentulism. While popular, traditional dentures can be a hygienic nightmare. They are also prone to shifting, breakage, and can cause ulcers on gum tissue, all of which result in daily discomfort. From a medical standpoint, dentures also do not adequately stimulate facial bones. Unlike individual implants and All-On-Fours which are embedded into the jaw bone itself and transfer the weight of each bite into the bone as natural teeth do, traditional dentures merely rest on the gums. This lack of stimulation to the jaw bone actually causes it waste away over time changing a person’s facial structure.

A third and better solution: The All-on-4® Dental Implants

The All-On-4® procedure offers a much simpler, much more affordable alternative to individual dental implants while retaining many of the same strengths, including near-natural aesthetics, longevity, functionality, and comfort. Instead of individually implanting each replacement tooth, the All-On-4® procedure only calls for four strategically placed implants (typically two near the front of the jaw and a second pair placed at an angle near the back). These four implants then support a bridge upon which all of the replacement teeth are permanently attached. Once these titanium implants fuse with a patient’s bone, it essentially becomes a part of his or her mouth and a natural extension of the jaw. Thus, unlike conventional dentures which rest on the gums, All-On-4® dental implants behave like a natural set of complete teeth. Once healing is complete, you can eat, drink, and chew whatever you want, whenever you want, wherever you want.

Dental implant costs for the All-On-4® Dental Implants

All-On-4® dental implants will be more expensive than conventional dentures, but significantly less costly than opting for individual implants. Ultimately, total costs will depend on the experience of the dentist you select for this procedure, your overall dental health, the type of implant selected, and the quality of material used for the prosthesis. Also, diagnostic tests may be required (x-rays, CT scan, etc.) and whether or not additional procedures such as a bone graft or sinus lift are necessary. One of the great benefits of opting for an All-On-4® procedure compared to conventional individual implants is that bone grafts are not required. This significantly reduces the complexity of the process and recovery time. Depending on the dental clinic you select, the All-On-4® procedure can often be completed in a single day!

The All-On-4 Treatment concept offers you many advantages.

• A cost effective solution. Your new replacement teeth require only four dental implants for each jaw. With fewer dental implants required, the cost is lowered.
• Reduced need for bone grafting. The special angled placement of two of the dental implants ensures a secure and stable anchorage for the replaced arch, often making bone grafting unnecessary.
• Faster treatment and healing time. Your replacement arch can be attached to your dental implants immediately after insertion.

Scientifically proven and documented. The All-on-4® treatment concept is supported by good clinical outcomes from studies over a decade with favorable results.