The Complete Guide to All On 4 Dental Implants

What Are All On 4 Dental Implants?

The All On 4 dental treatment concept originated in 1988 when Dr. Paulo Malo successfully treated the first patient with what has become known as the All On 4® dental implant treatment concept. Since then there have been over 3,500 dentists across the United States, including our own, Dr. Reza Khazaie, DDS of Willow Pass Dental Care who have followed in Dr. Malo’s footsteps. They are highly trained dental specialists who have devoted themselves to mastering dental restorations and facial problems that involve restoring missing teeth and jaw structures with treatments such as the All On 4® dental treatment concept, dental implants, crowns, bridges, dentures, TMJ/TMD, and many more.

They are known as Prosthodontists.

Characteristics of All On 4 Dental Implants

The characteristics of the All-On-4 treatment concept are what makes it popular for those who seek to restore their smile.

It is cost-efficient compared to conventional dental implants

Conventional dental implants can be two to three times more costly. The All On 4 treatment concept has been refined using technological advances with its full-arch rehabilitation using only four implants. Unlike conventional implants, in which each dental prosthetic requires its own implant, the All On 4 dental treatment concept replaces an entire arch (16 teeth) with only four implants. Implants are strategically embedded, two straight anterior implants in the front and two implants in the rear that are tilted at 45-degree angles, in order to take advantage of areas that naturally contain more bone. These four implants support a prosthetic bridge, or arch, upon which artificial teeth are attached.

It is a graftless solution

When bone depth is inadequate for a conventional implantation procedure, a bone grafting procedure will be necessary. Bone grafts add cost and recovery time and can be quite invasive. The All On 4 treatment concept avoids a grafting procedure in most instances since the posterior implants are installed at a 45-degree angle. The healing process from a bone graft can take 3 months or longer. The All On 4 treatment concept eliminates this entire ordeal for most patients and allows you to leave the surgery with a full set of new teeth!

You get a smile in a day!

With the All On 4 dental implant treatment approach, our patients often receive a brand new smile in just a single day. This is the beauty of a streamlined implantation procedure in which only four implants per arch are necessary. Due to the advances in technology teeth are often fabricated while Dr. Khazaie and his dental team of specialists are preparing your mouth and jaw. This leads to returning to full functionality and a beautiful smile before you leave Willow Pass Dental Care.

All On 4 Dental Implants can last a lifetime

The All On 4 dental implant can often last a lifetime. They won’t accidentally fall out and they look completely natural. More importantly, the All-On-4 treatment concept contributes to improving your health by preventing underlying jaw bone loss or bone absorption.

Pre-operative Planning is the Key to Successful All On 4 Dental Implants

Willow Pass Dental Care can provide All On 4 dental implants in a single day, including planning, execution, and final fitting.

However, it is important to emphasize the importance of pre-operative planning in the overall success of an All On 4 procedure. We don’t take any shortcuts when it comes to the preparatory stage. An implant that is placed even the slightest bit out of place or off-axis can result in a failed implementation. In-depth preoperative planning allows Dr. Khazaie and the team of doctors to plan precisely how and where each implant will be located to maximize the strength and stability of the All On 4 prosthesis.

These four steps will remove any confusion and ensure that our patients receive a seamless, comfortable All On 4 experience with beautiful results.

All On 4 Is An Affordable Long-Term Investment

When it comes to costs, the All On 4 dental implant procedure can be very affordable.

When budgeting for a dental procedure, patients should be careful to consider not only the cost of the procedure but also the associated expenses, such as follow-up appointments, maintenance, repairs and replacements, auxiliary procedures, as well as productive time lost during recovery.

This approach is known as the Life Cycle Cost (LCC).

Many patients make the unfortunate mistake of comparing only the “sticker price” for tooth replacement strategies while forgetting or neglecting the associated long-term costs.

When it comes to choosing the best teeth-replacement strategy, this can be a costly mistake.

For example, some patients hesitate in considering the All On 4 or traditional dental implants due to comparing the price head-to-head with other procedures like acrylic dentures. They fail to recognize that acrylic dentures must be replaced fairly regularly, sometimes as often as every two or three years, while a properly executed implant procedure can provide a beautiful permanent solution that can last a lifetime.

After a few rounds of replacing ill-fitting, uncomfortable acrylic dentures, many patients will agree that dental implants start to make a lot of financial sense.

Similarly, a patient could be tempted to opt for inexpensive implants from a cut-rate dental clinic or chain. Failing to consider that, should the implant fail due to improper placement or poor execution by the dentist due to a lack of experience, skill, or both, the costs of reparative dental work could end up costing the patient far more than they would have initially saved.

When considering the life cycle costs, the All-On-4 dental implants are a great long-term solution for a long-term problem: replacing natural teeth with permanent, functional replacement teeth that can last a lifetime.

Look at your teeth like an investment that, while more expensive in the short-term, pays off richly over time with quality teeth, a beautiful smile, and a healthy, enhanced and vibrant lifestyle.

Advantages of All On Four
Dental Implant Treatment

1. 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.

Prices for cosmetic dentistry procedures are determined by several factors such as quality of final restorations, type of anesthesia patient prefers for surgery, whether bone grafting is necessary, and if there are teeth that need to be removed.

At Willow Pass Dental Care we work with our patients to help design the best smile within a patient’s budget.

The All On 4 provides flexibility in price based primarily on the quality and grade of the final restorations. Also, due to the more efficient and less time-consuming nature of the All On 4 procedure, treatments for full mouth reconstruction often cost significantly less than similar processes executed with conventional individual implants.

The reasons for this are simple.

First as previously mentioned, All On 4 dental implants require fewer implants and, therefore, less surgical intervention, less of the doctor or surgeon’s time, and less recovery time.

Second, All On 4 dental implants only require four (4) implants per arch or a total of eight (8) implants for complete teeth replacement. In comparison, conventional individual implants for a similar full mouth reconstruction would require a staggering 32 implants or four times as many implants.

Furthermore, with a traditional approach, each tooth not only requires it’s very own implant, but it also needs its own crown.

Once the costs of performing 32 individual implants have been tallied up, the number far exceeds what one could expect from All On 4 dental implants.

On the flip side, All On 4 dental implants will also cost much more than the average denture.

Dentures require no surgery and can often be mass-produced with minimal customizability. However, dentures do not come close to providing the same benefits that implant-based teeth replacement solutions offer.

2. Reduced surgical scope

Many patients, whether for health reasons or just out of a concern for safety, prefer to reduce and limit invasive surgery as much as possible.

All On 4 dental implants provide a full-mouth replacement solution with as little intervention as possible.

Rather than penetrate the tissue and bone of the mouth for each tooth, the All On 4 treatment dramatically reduces the number of implants necessary. That means less surgery and, as a result, less pain and discomfort.

Also, All On 4 dental implants allow most patients to skip bone grafts altogether.

3. Reduced need for bone grafting

Willow Pass Dental Care a Concord, CA dentist is the leader in dental care in Concord, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Martinez, Antioch, and Pittsburg, California.

Dental implants must be firmly anchored into the underlying jawbone and allowed to osseointegrate to be successful.

As a result, patients that lack adequate jaw bone depth, density, or overall bone health must first undergo a bone grafting procedure before receiving individual implants.

Bone grafts require that bony material to be removed from one part of the patient’s body, typically the hips, and placed underneath the soft tissues where jaw bone depth is considered inadequate.

The grafted bone is then allowed to heal and osseointegrate to provide a firm foundation for future implants.

As one would imagine, a graft procedure is a major surgical intervention in itself.

Recovery from a grafting procedure can take two weeks to as long as three months depending on the severity of the bone loss in the jaw.

With All On 4 dental implants, patients can often skip bone grafts altogether.

With an All On 4 treatment, four implants per arch are strategically located in areas of the mouth where the bone is naturally deeper and denser. Two are located in the front of the jaw while two more are located in the rear of the jaw.

One of the groundbreaking innovations of the All On 4 treatment plan was to angle the rear implants to take advantage of naturally deeper and denser bone in the back of the mouth.

When combined with an All On 4 bridge, these four implants provide the support and stability necessary for a full set of brand-new teeth.

4. 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. One of the most appealing advantages of opting for All On 4 dental implants is speed. Many patients can receive surgery and a set of temporary All On 4 implants in a single day.

In other words, patients can completely reshape and remake their smile in just one appointment! Of course, a follow-up appointment is required for the final restorations and necessary adjustments to ensure a perfect fit. Nonetheless, compared to undergoing full mouth reconstruction utilizing conventional implants, All-On-4 dental implants are much more streamlined and, thus, reduce not only surgery time but also the likelihood of complications resulting from surgery.

Remember, with All-On-4 dental implants the prosthodontist needs to place a total of eight implants at most. These implants can be immediately ready for use. Replacing a full set of teeth with conventional implants requires 32 individual implantation procedures and a lot more time in the dental chair.

5. Stunningly beautiful

All On 4 dental implants provide some of the best dental aesthetics in the marketplace.

Like high-end traditional dentures, the visible All-On-4 prosthetic can be customized to suit each patient’s needs and wants. Utilizing materials such as titanium and acrylic allow for excellent aesthetics at a very affordable price.

Opting for more premium materials, such as all-zirconia can provide more durability as well as a very aesthetic appeal.

Customized bridgework hand-crafted and designed for each individual patient blurs the line between functional industrial design and high-end custom art.

Choosing The Right Doctor

“My final upper All-On-4 arch (even after the surgeon gave me an All-On-6) is awful! Definitely not worth the $30,500 in cash I paid up front. I have 12 ‘teeth’ which takes up only the front half of my mouth. I don’t have any molars, just an inch of pink gum material in the back. My bite is off and chewing food is awful! They’ve changed the shape of my jaw and now my mouth looks sunken because of the lack of molars which I had at my first visit.”

 – Source: pissedconsumer.com

“I also had a single implant on my bottom jaw that I never received a temporary for. I expected the look and function of actual teeth. Dr.”

“Kim told me the final would look like my real teeth with veneers. OMG so far from the truth!”

Why 98% of Patients Would Recommend All On 4 Dental Implants

Success Rate: Results

Patients who have received the All-On-4 treatment concept to replace missing, damaged or otherwise unsatisfactory teeth overwhelmingly recommend the treatment. That’s no surprise as the All On 4 concept provides the functional and aesthetic benefits of dental implants but at a significantly reduced price and with less surgical intervention. These are two of the many advantages of opting for an All On 4 teeth-replacement procedure over other alternative teeth-replacement solutions.

The most popular argument for choosing All On 4 dental implants are the results. It’s hard to argue with teeth that are perfect, beautiful, and flawless. All-On-4 Dental Implants provide an ideal smile that patients of Willow Pass Dental Care seek. They want teeth in a day that are affordable and with results that speak for themselves.

If you are struggling with bad teeth, whether as a result of bad genes, an accident, or simply a case of bad luck, All On 4 dental implants more than likely will be an excellent solution for you! Not only is the All On 4 a revolutionary step in the field of cosmetic dentistry, but it is also the procedure of choice for patients looking for long-lasting, beautiful results with a single surgical operation.

Top 5 Reasons Patients Overwhelmingly Recommend All On 4 Dental Implants

1. The All On 4 can provide you with new teeth in a day.

Very few surgical procedures can provide as noticeable a visual enhancement as an All On 4 dental implant procedure.

Your smile is more often than not the one feature that people notice first, remember, and will find themselves irresistibly attracted to without fail. That’s why investing in cosmetic dentistry is often the cosmetic procedure of choice for many celebrities, socialites, and people just like yourself.

With the All On 4 treatment plan, even those on a tight budget can now get brand new teeth without waiting months or years by undergoing multiple dental procedures.

2. Does the Prosthodontist and office have a good reputation?

One of the most significant advantages of the All On 4 treatment concept is that it solves a problem that has plagued the field of cosmetic dentistry for decades.

That problem was how to provide beautiful, functional replacement teeth for older patients who may lack adequate bone depth or density.

Conventional dental implants require a certain jaw bone depth and mass to be embedded successfully. In the old days, patients who wanted perfect new teeth or who were looking to replace missing teeth either qualified for conventional implants or had to make do with traditional dentures.

Those days are now over!

3. The All On 4 provides lasting results.

Implant-based solutions have inherent structural advantages over other tooth replacement treatments.

Traditional dentures, for example, rely on suction to remain in place. This solution of the past, while it works most of the time, doesn’t work all the time, which can result in embarrassing moments.

Implanted prosthetics stay in place, remain stable over decades, and last longer with minimal additional maintenance.

For lasting results, choose an implant-based solution such as All On 4 dental implants.

4. The All On 4 provides flawless aesthetics.

The All On Four provides some of the best cosmetic aesthetics in the dental field.

The visible replacement teeth are custom-crafted, color-matched, and fitted to each patient’s mouths providing a unique, personalized solution for every customer.

Materials such as dental grade porcelain or zirconium give replacement teeth natural depth, shine, and character that would be difficult to achieve with pure acrylics.

Of course, with precise craftsmanship and attention to detail, even acrylic can be made to look flawlessly natural and remains an economical option for more budget-conscious consumers.

5. The All On 4 has supreme functionality.

All On 4 Dental Implants are designed to not only look like natural teeth but to work like them too. Implants transfer the forces of biting and chewing into the underlying jaws which lend them to a more natural feel and look in the mouth.

Furthermore, because the implants are osseointegrated into the jaw bone itself, the entire prosthetics become a standard, functioning extension of your natural teeth and a perfect replacement.

The Biggest Factor In All On 4 Success Is Choosing The Right Prosthodontist

By far, the biggest indicator of success is having the right prosthodontist at the helm of your All-On-4 dental implant procedure. The right prosthodontist makes all the difference.

Remember, not all dentists are the same and not all dentists are prosthodontists who are qualified and trained to provide All On 4 dental implant treatments. Patients should seek out board-certified implant specialists with the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) recognition.

All On Four dental implants are a permanent personal investment that can give patients a brilliant, brand new smile, new beauty, and priceless new confidence in themselves.

However, like all cosmetic surgery, skill and knowledge are key. Choosing the right prosthodontist to perform the procedure ensures that your All On 4 investment is sound and will provide a vast improvement in day-to-day functions and continue to give you joy for decades to come.

The 5 Phases of an All On 4 Dental Implant Procedure

The All On 4 procedure consists of four distinct phases as described below.

1. Site work and teeth extraction

The first step in the surgical portion of an All On 4 procedure is to prepare the mouth to receive dental implants.

This means that the patient is sedated and any remaining existing teeth are extracted, if necessary.

The gums and soft tissues are then cleaned. Remnants of debris or diseases are removed.

A dental alveoplasty may also be essential for some patients to provide a smoother jawbone surface for the treatment procedure.

2. Implant insertion

Four dental implants are embedded into the jaw at strategic locations in each arch for a total of eight implants for patients receiving complete mouth reconstruction.

For the upper arch, two implants are located in the front of the mouth in the cortical bone beneath the nose where dental bone is naturally strongest. Another two implants are inserted at an angle, tilted distally, in the back of the mouth. These tilted implants engage the mesial wall of the sinuses for superior spread stability.

For the lower arch, the same implant strategies apply with two implants located towards the front and two in the rear tilted at an angle. Implant insertion location and angles are unique to each patient and are heavily influenced by the data gathered during pre-surgical consultations.

3. Abutment affixment

Once the implants are anchored in place, multi-unit abutments are affixed to the implants to provide a mounting point for the visible dental prosthetics.

These abutments provide a uniform platform to perform the reconstructive prosthetic procedure.

4. Dental Bridge attachment

Finally, with both the implants and abutments in place, a temporary load-bearing bridge prosthetic is put in place.

This bridge is retained with tiny screws.

The temporary bridge provides a functional and aesthetic prosthetic placeholder until a final, beautiful set of teeth can be fabricated. Some offices, like Willow Pass Dental Care, possess the equipment to manufacture dental prosthetics in-house, significantly reducing the time between the initial consultation and a final set of perfect teeth.

5. Adjustments

Finally, with the implants and associated dental prosthetics in place, Dr. Khazaie will perform “touch-up” work to ensure flawless aesthetics and a functional fit.

This period of adjustments may include gum recontouring to provide better visual aesthetics or modifications to the fit and bite of the dental prosthetics themselves.

All On 4 Dental Implant Considerations

While All On 4 Dental Implants are an excellent and the preferred teeth replacement treatment for most patients, the technique is not without a few minor considerations. Patients should be aware that the best teeth replacement strategy for their individual needs will depend on a variety of factors including the current condition of their teeth, budget, and overall health.

The All On 4 treatment is suitable for most patients, but not for everyone.

4 Things You Should Consider

1. All On 4 dental implants are more expensive than traditional dentures.

All On 4 dental implants are a cost-effective alternative to conventional individual implants when it comes to replacing missing teeth.

However, All On 4 dental implants are still more expensive than traditional dentures. Most dental professionals will agree that the benefits provided by All On 4 dental implants are by far worth the additional costs.

However, each patient is unique. Elderly patients may not wish to undergo implant surgery. Others will find that traditional dentures more than meet their needs.

All On 4 dental implants can range in price from $10,000 per arch to $50,000 or more depending on the level of finish required and the materials selected.

Meanwhile, an economical traditional denture can be had for as little as a few hundred dollars. A custom set of dentures crafted from the best materials may run as high as $7,000. The average price of a typical set of dentures, however, only costs between $800 to $2,000 per plate.

2. There is less room for error with All On 4 dental implants.

Because the entire dental prosthesis, or dental bridge, found in an All On 4 system relies on just four implants, there is little room for error.

Each of the four implants must be correctly placed and seamlessly integrated into the underlying jawbone.

If even a single implant fails, the prosthesis may likely require refitting. In comparison, traditional dentures are effectively plug and play, and conventional implants can be individually replaced as needed.

3. All On 4 requires expert execution

As a result of the high degree of expertise and skills required to execute a successful All On 4 procedure, finding a qualified dental specialist (Prosthodontist) can be difficult and expensive.

Remember, All On 4 dental implants are a challenging surgical intervention that should not be attempted by a general dentist.

While some unscrupulous practitioners may claim to provide All On 4 treatments, always opt for a true expert to get the best results.

4. The entire bridge prosthetic must be replaced if damaged.

One of the most significant drawbacks of All On 4 dental implants is its monolithic nature. The entire system is effectively composed of four dental implants and a single dental prosthetic piece known as a bridge upon which all the teeth sit.

What this means is that should a single tooth be chipped, damaged, or otherwise in need of repairs, the entire prosthetic must be removed and refitted. This can be troublesome should there be damage to the dental bridge.

Innovation Makes Getting A Brand New Smile Easy

Innovative & Easy

Getting a brand new smile is as easy 1-2-3!

The All On 4 dental implant solution receives exceptional reviews when it comes to consumer satisfaction, and it is our honor to offer this cutting-edge service to our patients at Willow Pass Dental Care.

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 Four 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 are 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 and you can begin enjoying your favorite foods once again with renewed confidence.

A 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 of 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.

Comparing All On 4 vs. Dentures vs. Traditional Dental Implants

Individual dental implants were once the gold standard for an 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-Four dental implants that 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 to 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 that 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 most often are not required. This significantly reduces the complexity of the process and recovery time. Depending on the dental clinic you select, the All On Four procedure can often be completed in a single day!