Teeth are one of the most important parts of the body that are constantly put to use round the clock. You can tell that your teeth affect the overall health of the body. If not chewed properly the food won’t be digested properly and thus causing a cascade of problems affecting the whole digestive system. With such a pivotal role your teeth playing, it is annoying when your teeth fall out or get infected. In such cases, dental implants are preferred to restore functionality. But what happens when you lose lots of teeth? Using separate implants is a painful and time-consuming process and this is where the all on 4 dental implants take the stage. Want to know further about these magical multifunctional implants? Then common read on.
Understanding all-on 4 implants
Before taking a look at what are dental 4 implants let us first understand what a dental implant is and how it works? Dental implants are metal posts that are surgically placed into the jaw bone to which a prosthetic tooth is attached. The metal used is usually titanium due to its durability and biocompatible nature. Now jumping to all on 4 implants, it is a hybrid mount with four implants on a bridge. This reduces the cost of implants and surgical sites. It is used to replace both the upper and lower dental arches. It is an impressive solution for replacing lost arches with high functionality, comfort, and lower costs.
Breaking down the procedure of All-on 4
The initial stages of getting an all-on-4 implant are similar to that of the conventional implants with a great difference in the procedure.
Initial consultation and treatment plan
The first meeting with your dentist is a phase of examination and clearing doubts. The dentist will analyze the dental condition and will suggest procedures that you have to undergo followed by framing a treatment plan. X-rays will be taken based on which the optimal placement of the fixtures will be decided. You can ask any question regarding the implants to your dentist and avoid any misunderstanding and misconceptions. The initial consultation is where the health of the patient is discussed if you are undergoing any other treatment.
The preliminary procedures
The preliminary procedure is distinctly based on the dental condition of the patient. The most popular preliminary procedures are tooth extractions and periodontal treatment.
Tooth extraction: the removal tooth that is affected or about to fall from the dental alveolus that is the dental socket is known as tooth extraction. If the tooth that has to be extracted is not well embedded this is done while implantation but in most cases only after this heals implantation will be done.
Periodontal treatment: the treatment of any gum disease and jaw bone infection. To treat periodontitis either scaling and root planning is done or the tooth is removed. Active periodontitis leads to infection of implants or failure of the same.
Surgical methods
Once the patient recovers from the preliminary procedures implantation procedure will be carried out. The procedure is generally carried out under local anesthesia or in some cases, a sedative is administered. This is followed by drilling small holes in the bone and titanium posts are inserted within. A healing cap is placed on top of the implant for a speedy recovery of bones and gums. Healing in the case of all-on-four implants takes about 4 to six months after which prosthetic teeth are placed.
Benefits of all-on 4 implants
The all-on 4 implants are preferred by many over the conventional implants owing to the following facts
- Treatment time is less
- The number of visits to the dentist is minimal compared to the traditional counterparts
- Surgical procedures required are marginal
- Speedy recovery
- Maintenance is easy and doesn’t need too much attention
- The prosthetic is tough, durable and comfortable
- Cheap compared to the conventional methods.
How are these different from conventional implants?
- The traditional methods employ the use of 5 to 8 implants while this idiosyncratic method uses only 4 implants.
- This technique doesn’t call for any bone grafting techniques unlike the traditional methods
- Exorbitant cost and time of treatment are sidestepped because there are no intermediary bone grafting techniques.
- The prosthesis placed on all-on 4 implants fuses faster with the bone than the traditional ways.
Are you the ideal candidate for all-on 4 implants?
- If you are a person wearing dentures currently or having missing teeth or teeth density on shaky ground and need a total replacement of the entire teeth set then you are perfect for this type.
- To undergo this procedure the candidate should also be able to give proper healing time
Final takeaway
The success of the implant is ensured by 50-50 participation of the patient and dentist. The success of all-on 4 dental implants lies in the hands of a dentist. Only a skilled and expert dentist can assure implant that lasts longer that is perfectly positioned.
