All On 4 Dental Implants: Your Frequently Asked Questions Answered! Part 1

By Author: Jack De Richards
Total Articles: 98
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The “All on Four”: you may have heard of it, you may have not. But, if you have lost all or are on the verge of losing all of your original adult teeth to periodontal (gum) disease or tooth decay, this protocol is definitely something you will want to have heard about! All on 4 dental implants are an innovation in the fields of dental implantology and fixed oral rehabilitation. They enable the skilled and highly trained specialists to provide patients suffering from a failing dentition with a brand new set of fixed teeth in as little as a single day, with a single surgical procedure. This feat goes without precedent.
Naturally, many of you have questions about this “breakthrough” dental implant technique, so in this four-part article series we shall go about addressing all of your questions and concerns.
Question: What is the “All on Four”?
Answer: The “All on Four” dental implant protocol (as the above picture demonstrates) consists of the strategic placement and angulation of four dental implants in regions of the jawbone that are naturally more resistant to atrophy. ...
... A customized non-removable dental prosthesis is then attached to these dental implants, which hold it firmly in place in the patient’s mouth. The orientation of the four dental implants is carefully planned so as to reap maximum support from the existing bone volume, thus avoiding the need for bone grafting in most cases.
Question: Why are All on 4 dental implants considered a “breakthrough”?
Answer: This protocol is considered a “breakthrough” because it bypasses one of the biggest problems facing traditional dental implant techniques: the need for bone grafting surgery. The patients who typically require new teeth have been suffering with periodontal disease or wearing removable dentures for many years and have, as a result, lost a fair volume of bone in the jaw. Through the strategic placement of only four dental implants, specialists are able to provide these patients with a brand new set of teeth almost always without the need for bone grafting first. The benefits of this are threefold:
Bone grafting can be incredibly expensive, so patients are usually saved thousands of dollars.
Bone grafting is highly invasive in nature, so bypassing it saves patients the need to go through all that pain and discomfort.
Bone grafting requires many months of healing before the jawbone is ready to accept dental implants. By skipping this step to oral rehabilitation, patients can typically get a new set of teeth immediately!
The benefits of All on 4 dental implants are quite simply unprecedented. Just consider that you could get beautiful new and non-removable teeth in one day with only a single surgery… it’s not hard to understand how this procedure has come to be known as a “breakthrough”.
Question: Am I a candidate for All on 4 dental implants?
Answer: Most people with a failing dentition are considered candidates for All on 4 dental implants, with the rare exception. The best way to find out, however, is to book a consultation with a dental implant specialist. Some Centers that specialize in the “All on Four” offer first time patients a completely free initial consultation with a 3-D Cone Beam CT scan included. It’s this diagnostic technology that helps the specialist ascertain whether you have sufficient bone volume in the jaw to make you a candidate for All on 4 dental implants.
Stay Tuned for Part 2:
To read the answers to more of your frequently asked questions on All on 4 dental implants, stay tuned for the second installment of this four-part article series.