All-on-four dental implants have experienced an increase in popularity in recent times, due to their comfort and appearance. As a long-lasting, optimal solution for rotten, broken or missing teeth, all-on-four dental implants use four screws – together with a precision-engineered fixed full-arch of prosthetic teeth – to restore your dental function – and completely transform your smile.
If you have acute gum disease, missing teeth or have had teeth broken through injury and been told that dentures are your only option, you may be surprised to find out that you could be an ideal candidate for all-on-four dental implants.
And even if you have bone loss due to missing teeth, this doesn’t preclude you from having dental implants. You will not need to undergo any painful procedures, such as sinus lift or bone grafts, prior to having the all-on-four dental implants fitted, and, as long as you are fit enough to undergo teeth extraction surgery, you will be good to go!
So, what can you expect from all-on-four dental implants?
As a one-piece, full jaw prosthetic bridge secured in place by 4 or 6 implants in each jaw (two more implants can be added in the pterygoid, zygomatic and nasalus areas if you have a particularly challenging dental situation), all-on-four dental implants can be fitted in just one day.
Helping people with failing, missing, or rotten teeth to regain a confident, healthy smile, all-on-four dental implants also have the following benefits:
- Immediate results – once you have had the dental implants fitted, you will see an improvement straightaway, with your smile becoming more even and bright
- Improves functionality – this relates to the way you eat and chew your food. With challenging dental situations, and wearing dentures, often comes a reluctance – and difficulty – to eating various food. Dental implants remove these obstacles and you can enjoy the foods you love again
- Improves self-esteem and quality of life – it can become second nature to hide your smile behind your hand or to just not smile if you can help it! Having dental implants gives you the confidence to smile bright again and enjoy conversing and laughing with your friends and family again
- No risk of slipping or becoming loose – all-on-four dental implants are firmly anchored into the jaw, so there is no way they can come out of your mouth, when you are eating or talking
- Cost-effective – if you are having ongoing, extensive dental work and are paying out for crowns, bridges and fillings, for example, this can end up very costly. Although having all-on-four dental implants involves an initial layout, there are minimal costs incurred over the lifetime of the implants – as long as you take care of the dental implants, as you would your normal teeth
- Stimulates bone growth – when you have missing teeth, bone loss occurs, which changes the aesthetics of the face, around the jawbone and cheeks. When all-on-four dental implants are placed in the jaw, this stimulates bone growth (ossification) which, in turn, restores your facial aesthetics
All-on-four dental implants can be placed in the top jaw, bottom jaw, or both and, if well cared for, can last upwards of 30 years. With advancements in materials and technology, you can rest assured you’re getting superb dental implants, that can stand the test of time.
So, how do you know if you are suitable for dental implants?
The good news is that not many people are deemed unsuitable – this would only happen if you had certain underlying health conditions or were undergoing certain treatments. Usually, a conebeam CT scan (CBCT) will be performed, so an accurate picture can be obtained of your dental situation, giving the clinic undertaking the procedure a good idea of what they are working with.
What happens on the day of the procedure?
This can vary from clinic-to-clinic. Looking at EvoDental, who are the UK’s only dental group specialising exclusively in full jaw reconstruction, fixing over 1000 jaws annually, they will extract any remaining teeth first thing in the morning, before the implants are secured into the jaw later on the same day. A completely bespoke, temporary prosthesis will be fitted and then you will be allowed home. You will need to return approximately 12 weeks later for the fitting of the final prosthesis, after the implants have had time to bed into the jaw.
And it’s as simple as that. A choice for all-on-four dental implants is a choice for a brighter, happier smile!
