All-on-4® Treatment Concept
Dallas, TX
 Having missing teeth hampers your quality of life, hinders your eating and speaking capabilities, and can lead to additional problems in oral and overall health. Fortunately, you have several options available to restore your teeth. Dentures are often viewed as the standard method, but dental implants are a much better option.
Dental implants are titanium posts that are surgically inserted into the jawbone to provide support for the attached crown, which looks and acts like a regular tooth. Dental implants are the most effective form of replacement teeth, but if a patient has lost an entire row of teeth, replacing each one with an implant can get rather costly. That’s why we offer the All-on-4® treatment concept.
What is All-on-4®?
All-on-4® is a term that refers to the procedure where an entire arch of prosthetic teeth is placed on just 4 implant posts. This is much more cost-effective and requires far less surgery than replacing each missing tooth individually. This procedure is highly recommended for patients who have lost multiple teeth close together and want them replaced with implants.
What if I don’t have enough Bone Mass to Support Dental Implants?
If you have lost a lot of bone mass, this isn’t necessarily an obstacle to receiving dental implants. The solution is often a bone graft, which will increase the time and cost of the treatment. We will need to complete this before beginning the implant surgery.
As a general rule, we’ll need 6 to 8 implant posts to support a full arch of replacement teeth. If your jawbone is too weak, it can’t support the posts. As a result, if even one such post falls out, the entire structure can fail. All-on-4®, however, is an alternative to bone grafts.
Placing the Implants
As previously stated, All-on-4® allows us to place an entire row of teeth on just four posts. The placement of the posts will determine whether the procedure succeeds or not.
The front of the jaw usually has more bone mass, so we place to posts there at vertical angles. The other two are inserted at a 45-degree angle near the back of the mouth, maximizing the contact between them and the jawbone to ensure they bond properly. This method allows us to maximize support with minimal posts.
Traditional dentures are seen as the quintessential tooth replacement option, but All-on-4® (and dental implants in general) has an edge dentures can’t match.
All-on-4® has Better Stability
All-on-4® is more stable than dentures. Because dentures rest on your gums and are secured by adhesives, they run the risk of slipping or even falling out. But since dental implants are permanent, they won’t do that.
All-on-4® looks more Realistic and is Easier to Care For
Modern dentures are much more lifelike than those of yesteryear. But All-on-4® restorations are made from ceramic, making them look just like your natural teeth. They even reflect light just like real enamel!
You can also brush and floss dental implants the way you do your normal teeth. Dentures, however, are harder to care for. As long as you care for your implants, they will last for the rest of your rest of your life. In contrast, you will need to replace dentures periodically. Read more about all-on-4 vs. dentures.
For more information, please contact our office at 214-363-9946.
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