All-on-4 is a unique treatment method that helps edentulous patients fully restore their smiles with just four dental implants per arch. Those four implants are sufficient to support an entire denture that is specially designed to slide into place atop them.
Using this treatment approach, an oral surgeon will place four dental implants toward the front of the patient’s jaw. The outer two implants are angled beneath the gum line to support the weight of the rear section of the denture.
Over the course of the several months after the dental implants are placed, the surrounding jawbone forms a permanent bond with them. The dental implants become root-like fixtures in the jaw. Accordingly, an implant-supported denture can stay in place for decades with proper care.
The dental implants’ role as artificial tooth roots gives important functional benefits to All-on-4 patients. Their appliances are more effective at chewing and feel more comfortable and lifelike. The dental implants also prevent jawbone resorption, so the appliance retains its fit over time.
Bone loss, which occurs as a consequence of tooth loss, ordinarily presents an obstacle to the placement of dental implants, but All-on-4 works around this situation. Even long-term denture wearers who have suffered some bone loss at the rear of the jaw can be eligible for All-on-4 because the four dental implants are placed toward the front of the jaw, where the bone is thicker to begin with and erodes more slowly.
Because only four dental implants are needed for All-on-4, they can be placed in a single appointment that lasts just a few hours. Many patients can even be fitted with a temporary prosthetic at the end of that appointment. After the dental implants have been fully osseointegrated, the patient then gets the permanent appliance.
Don’t despair if you need to restore your entire smile. All-on-4 dental implants can help, even if you’ve already experienced some bone loss. We’d be happy to provide more information on this treatment option. Call our team at Northern Texas Facial & Oral Surgery today to schedule an initial consultation.
