All-on-4

All-on four: One full arch of teeth, four dental implants

To fully understand this remarkable technique for replacing teeth, you should first understand what a dental implant is. An implant is a small titanium screw that fits inside your jawbone and replaces the root-part of a missing tooth. Minor surgery is required to insert the implants. Once the implant is in place, a crown is attached to give you a highly realistic-looking and functional prosthetic tooth.

Here’s where it gets really interesting: You do not need a dental implant for each and every one of your missing teeth. All you need is four precisely placed implants on the top of your mouth, and four on the bottom, to restore your full smile. That’s the beauty of the all-on-four. And because the implant is made of titanium, it has the unique ability to fuse to living bone and function as part of it. So eventually, the dental implant becomes part of the jawbone and serves as a strong, long-lasting foundation for your new teeth.

Besides ensuring that your implants are permanently fixed in place, this bone fusion has another important benefit: it prevents future bone loss in the jaw. This helps to maintain a more youthful facial structure—and better oral health. But perhaps the biggest surprise about the all-on-four is how quickly it can transform your life.

All-on-4 Implants is a minimally invasive solution with a fixed full-arch restoration for high patient satisfaction.

What is the All-on-4® treatment concept?

HOW ARE ALL-ON-4 DENTAL IMPLANTS MOUNTED?

All-on-4 requires a complex procedure to fit which requires a specialized oral surgeon. You should seek an experienced dentist when you choose to undergo All-on-4 dental implant surgery.

Here are the stages necessary in the fitting of All-on-4 dental implants.

i) Preparation

Before you visit the dentist to get the All-on-4 dental implants, you will need to take a pre-visit for the oral surgeon to facilitate a treatment plan.

In the preparation, X-rays and other measurements will be requested to create an impression of your new teeth. You may also need to present your past dental records to ease planning.

ii) Treatment

This process usually takes about 24 hours to fully complete inclusive of any teeth extractions necessary.
After injecting local anesthesia, the oral surgeon inserts four titanium shafts in each jaw bone.

These shafts are used to reinforce a bridge on the gum where the artificial teeth will be placed. The shafts are usually placed on parts of the jaw bone with a denser bone to increase the foundation strength.

After the shafts are fully inserted, the patient will first wait for them to heal completely which takes a maximum of 6 months after which they can freely use their new teeth.

What’s The All-On-4 Dental Implant Procedure Like?

It can be scary to get implants for the first time. Most of that fear is probably due to the uncertainty, so here is the step-by-step process for getting an All-On-4 dental implant.

First, your dentist will want to make sure your comfortable, so either local or general anesthesia will be administered.

Second, the dentist or surgeon will prepare your mouth for the implants, which involves removing your remaining teeth that are failing. They will then remove any diseased or infected tissue from your jaw and gums.

Next, they will begin the implantation process. This means they will insert the titanium screws into your jawbone. Most likely, they will place two implants toward the front of your mouth and two towards the back of your mouth so the “anchors” can evenly bare the force of the denture.

After the implants have been placed, they will thoroughly clean the surgical sites and suturing all the incisions. Then you’ll be taken to a recovery room where you can relax and take time to wake up from the anesthesia.

All-On-4 Dental Implants Recovery Time

The recovery time after getting traditional dentures can range from 3 to 8 months, but after getting an All-On-4 denture, you should be functioning sooner. The reason is that the implants fuse to your bone and promote stability of the denture from the very first day.

Here’s what you can expect the recovery to look like starting the day of the procedure.

First Day Recovery

During the first hour after your recovery or until you stop bleeding, you will have had gauze packs placed over the areas of surgery — you should gently bite down on these to keep them in place. After the first hour, you may be asked to remove the gauze, unless there’s excessive bleeding, in which case your dentist will probably replace them with new gauze. After that, they’ll want you to change the gauze every 30-45 minutes.

When you go home from surgery, make sure you don’t do anything that would disturb the tender areas. Do not rinse or touch the surgical areas, except for gentle brushing with a soft toothbrush. And obviously, smoking afterwards (or in general) is a very bad idea if you want the surgical spots to heal well.

Although you should be extra gentle, it’s also important to keep your mouth as clean as possible. Your doctor will likely prescribe a medicated rinse to keep the bacterial load down in your mouth and help promote healing.

Twenty-four hours after surgery, if there’s minimal bleeding, you can gently rinse your mouth with saltwater. Just mix one tablespoon of salt with about eight ounces of water and rinse gently, allowing the water to drip from your mouth into the sink. You can do this 2-3 times per day.

The Days Following Surgery

In the time following the procedure, the main activities you’ll be doing should involve resting on a couch or bed. Things you shouldn’t be doing include bending over, lifting heavy objects, or any strenuous activities as it could lead to more bleeding and swelling.

Also, when transitioning from a lying down position to standing, it’s best to do so slowly. Otherwise, you could get lightheaded. If you normally exercise, you’ll need to avoid it for 3-4 days after surgery.

Common Post-Surgery Issues And How To Deal With Them

Here are some common issues you may experience in the days following surgery and how to care for your All-On-4 dental implants.

Swelling

Swelling is a normal part of getting surgery, and it will reach its climax about 2-3 days after the procedure. Using ice or a cold pack on your cheek within the 24 hours following the procedure can help control it (20 minutes on and 20 minutes off). Your dentist may prescribe you medication as well.

Nausea

You may experience nausea or even vomiting from any accidentally swallowed blood or from any of the medicines you’ll be taking. Usually, a carbonated drink and some crackers can help tone down the sickness. If the nausea persists or gets severe, call your dentist for recommendations.

Persistent Bleeding

If you find that you have bleeding that won’t stop, this usually means you may be biting down on the gauze packs without them covering the surgical areas. Reposition the gauze and see if that helps.

If this does nothing and the bleeding continues, try sitting upright, avoid physical activity, and put ice packs on the outside of your mouth.

Then you can bite down on one for an hour or a moist black tea bag for about 30 minutes.

If this still doesn’t help, call your dentist to schedule an appointment.

Stiff Muscles

Your jaw muscles may become stiff, again because of the gauze keeping your jaw in the same position for long periods of time. To counteract this, you can gently and slowing stretch your jaw every once in a while.

Discoloration

About 2-3 days after surgery, you may notice discoloration or bruising near the surgical areas (usually black, blue, and/or yellow). This is normal. After the first 36 hours after the procedure, you can apply moist heat to your cheek.

Sharp Sensations In Your Mouth

If you start to feel something sharp in your mouth, this could be the bony walls that used to support the now missing teeth. Small pieces of the bone may protrude from the gums after a few days. If it becomes uncomfortable or concerning, you can speak with your dentist.

Dry Lips

It’s expected that your lips will become dry as your mouth will be slightly stretch from wearing gauze. You can use chapstick or some other hydrating ointment.

Sore Throat

Because your mouth may be open most of the time because of the gauze, this can lead to a sore throat, making swallowing painful. This is a passing symptom, usually going away after a few days.

What is the All-on-4® treatment concept?

The All-on-4^® treatment concept is a cost-efficient, graftless solution that provides patients with a fixed full-arch prosthesis on the day of surgery.

Characteristics include:

• Full-arch rehabilitation with only four implants
  Two straight anterior implants and two implants tilted up to 45º in the posterior
• Immediate Function (fixed provisional bridge)
  For patients meeting criteria for immediate loading of implants
• Graftless procedure
  Bone grafting is avoided by tilting the posterior implants, utilizing available bone

Common Problems With All-On-4 Dental Implants

Sometimes after the healing process, you may run into problems. Here are the most common problems you may experience with All-On-4 implants.

Surgical Complications

With any type of surgery, there are always risks involved. With an All-On-4 procedure specifically, the possible complications include infection, poor healing, and profuse bleeding. Obviously, your dentist will do everything in their power to avoid these risks, but sometimes they just happen.

It’s best to keep an eye out for these complications following the surgery and let your dentist know of any abnormal changes.

Dental Implants That Don’t Integrate With Your Bone

Sometimes the dental implants and your bone don’t agree with each other. Factors that affect how well an implant will integrate with your bone is if you smoke, the quality of your bone density, your nutrition, and many other things.

If an implant fails to work with your bone, your dentist can remove the implant, let the area heal, and insert a new implant.

Failed Implants

This is a rare occurrence, but still a possibility. Dental implants have an extremely high success rate, but if one or more of them happens to fail, your dentist can replace the implant.

The most common reason for a failed implant can is gum disease, which you can avoid by taking good care of your implants and the surrounding gums and going to regular checkups.

Reviews Of All-On-4 Dental Implants

Generally speaking, patients who get All-On-4s are very satisfied with their new set of teeth. As long as you go to a reliable and trusted dentist, you should have a similar experience.

“I love them so much,” said one All-On-4 patient. “They went in a dream. Didn’t take very long and only a tiny little adjustment made to the lower set. Absolutely no pain at all. I can honestly say they feel so normal, exactly like my own teeth felt (without any of the pain).”

Another All-On-4 patients was super happy with their new teeth, despite wishing they still had their natural teeth.

ALL-ON-4® DENTAL IMPLANTS SUMMARY

All-on-4® dental implants, also known as teeth in a day, are a permanent solution to the loss of teeth, and the all-on-4® procedure is less invasive due to the reduced number of implants necessary to complete the procedure. Teeth-in-a-Day® is the answer to the loss of teeth, especially in the cases where the majority of teeth have been lost or damaged. All-on-4® dental implants are a safe, efficient procedure that replace traditional methods of tooth replacement like dental bridges or dentures.

All-on-4® Dental Implants:

• Can be treated like natural teeth
• Do not require any adhesives or special care
• Require minimal healing time
• Are placed quickly in one visit