Looking for dental implant surgery? Do your broken, decayed or lost teeth embarrass you and affect your quality of life? Well! Dental implant surgery not only helps reconstruct your teeth but also gives you an aesthetic look. But what if all your teeth fell down? In such cases, all-on-4 dental implant surgery comes into the picture. All-on-4-dental implant surgery is a cost-effective, long-lasting, and minimally invasive technique that provides the best treatment outcomes. Let’s discuss more about All-on-4 dental implant surgery.
Table of Contents
1. What are All-on-4 Dental Implants?
2. When Do You Need All-on-4 Dental Implant?
3. What is the Procedure of the All-on-4 Dental Implant?
4. What materials are considered to be the best for all-on-4 dental implants?
5. Benefits of All-on-4 Dental Implants
6. Recovery and Maintenance of All-in-4 Dental Implant
7. How long do All-on-4 Implants Last?
8. How to Clean All-on-4 Dental Implants?
9. Possible Risk Associated with All-on-4 Dental Implant
10. What is the Cost of the All-on-4 Dental Implant?
- What are All-on-4 dental implants?
All-on-4 dental implants, means all teeth being supported on four dental implants. It is a surgical technique or prosthodontics procedure that is used for total rehabilitation of toothlessness, decayed teeth or badly broken down teeth due to gum diseases. All-on-4 dental implants are widely used as an alternative option for getting dentures. The four implants mounted generally support a full fixed prosthesis with 10 to 14 teeth which include both the upper or lower arches of the tooth.
The procedure for All-on-4 dental implant doesn’t involve replacing individual lost teeth, so if you are looking for a single dental implant, all-on-4 is not for you! It is because the all-on-four dental implant procedure involves placing four pairs of titanium posts surgically into the jawbone. Each dental implant to be placed consists of one small titanium screw which is to be inserted into the gums. Then, the dental surgeon puts down a single false tooth to the screw. In such a way, your dental surgeon will surgically insert all the four titanium posts into your jawbone which will function as key anchors. Then a permanent denture is placed at those key anchors to provide a seamless look across your entire mouth.
2. When Do You Need All-on-4 Dental Implant?
A missing tooth can create a lot of problems, be it feeling embarrassed while smiling, difficulty eating, digestive problems or speech difficulty. All-on-4 dental implants are considered to be the best procedure for patients with significant loss of tooth decay due to gum diseases and for people with bone loss in the jaw area. A person whose tooth has lost will also have a problem of loss of bone in the jaw area. This can prevent the person from getting conventionally oriented (vertical) dental implants. In such cases, All-on-4 dental implants are the treatment one should go for as these can save you from feeling embarrassed.
3. What is the Procedure for All-on-4 Dental Implant?
All-on-4 dental implant surgery will provide you with a natural looking smile that nobody can find out. Consult with your doctor first if you are looking to undergo All-on-4-dental implant surgery.
Diagnosis
For the implementation of All-on-4 Dental implant to be successful, your dental surgeon needs to do a careful analysis of the bone structure inside your mouth. With an aim to minimize any risk of complications, your dental surgeon may recommend you to undergo an X-ray, computed tomography (CT), or cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan. The most ideal way to evaluate the jaw bone is by a Dental Cone Beam CT scan (CBCT scan). A CBCT scan may help understand the amount of damage caused to your teeth, infection due to gum diseases, and the amount of bone loss due to infection or decay.
A scan may help to analyze the extent of infection especially in cases where an individual is already carrying a dental-implant. It’s possible that the base of the implant is infected and in such cases, it is mandatory to address the situation, before going for an All-on-4 dental implant. Some patients may require deep dental cleaning before the procedure in order to remove the debris.
Procedure for All-on-4- dental implant surgery
The surgical procedure is conducted under the influence of local anesthesia due to which, the patient may not feel any pain during the procedure.
In case if there is any loss in the jaw bone detected, grafting is to be carried out to reduce the risk of reconstructing the jaw bone.
Dental surgeons will then remove any remaining teeth to make room for the implants.
Four dental implants will then be placed into your jaw bone, which will act as “pillars” to keep the prosthetic teeth secure.
Two of the implants which are to be placed at the back are typically angled approximately 30 to 45 degrees from the biting plane. Another two implants are placed in the upper jaw in front of the maxillary sinus and in front of the mental nerve.
All the four implants are placed at a point where the bone density is higher. Once the dental implants are fixed a temporary denture is placed on top of it. It will be replaced with the final complete, custom-fabricated denture after the implants are completely healed.
4. What materials are considered to be the best for All-on-4 dental implants?
The success of all types of dental-implants lies in the type of material being used. The most commonly used All-on-4 dental implants are Titanium dental implants and Zirconium Dental Implants.
Titanium dental implants – Titanium dental implants are long-lasting implants that can last for decades and even last for a lifetime if taken proper care.
Zirconia Dental Implants: Zirconia dental Implants are trending nowadays as they provide a more natural look than the titanium dental implants. Zirconia implants are non-metallic, ceramic implants that provide a seamless and more natural looking teeth to an individual.
In addition to materials like titanium, other materials that can be inserted as implants include acrylic fused to titanium, porcelain stacked to a cobalt-chromium frame and monolithic zirconia.
- Benefits of All-on-4 Dental Implants
The all-on-4-treatment implant has numerous benefits. Some of them are listed below:
- The procedure is a minimally invasive technique
- Provides a more natural look compared to individual denture replacements.
- No risk of shifting or slipping
- Gives an aligned look with the real surrounding teeth.
- The method is quite fast, and convenient, and provides a perfect arch to your smile.
- All-on-4 dental implants consist of only 4 implants to be placed which means lower cost with effective treatment.
- It’s a very good option for people who have lost several teeth.
- Improved quality of life of the patient with regards to esthetics, function, sense, speech, and self-esteem.
- The prosthesis implanted will remain permanently.
- Does not require much care.
- Recovery and Maintenance of All-in-4 Dental Implant
After undergoing the procedure for All-on-4 dental implant your doctor may prescribe pain medications to be taken for 2-3 days to deal with the pain that may occur after surgery. Swelling may also be observed which usually go away in about 3-5 days. One can resume their normal activities after 1-3 days if there is no swelling.
The treatment usually takes 2-3 months to heal completely. During this period you doctor may ask you to do the following:
- Take care of your dental implant properly.
- Avoid smoking or quit it.
- Rinse your mouth with saltwater to avoid any kind of infection
- Try consuming soft foods.
- Avoid any kind of exercise
- Use a soft bristle brush and move the brush in circular motions to clean your teeth while brushing.
- How long do All-on-4 Implants Last?
The stability of an All-on-4 dental implant depends on several factors like the type of material used, routine maintenance and proper hygiene. All these factors can decide the durability of your All-on-4 dental implant. If provided with appropriate care they can last up to 20 or more years.
- How to Clean All-on-4 Dental Implants?
Cleaning of the implants is very crucial to prevent any sort of infection in the implants. Cleaning of All-on-4 dental implants is not very different from cleaning your natural teeth. However, it may require a bit more extra time and effort. It is because when you consume food. Certain food particles tend to get trapped in between the area of the implant. In order to remove the trapped food particles, you will be required to brush your teeth thoroughly for 2-3 minutes. Also, daily flossing should be done and schedule timely meetings with your dentist for deep cleaning if required.
- Possible Risks Associated with All-on-4 Dental Implant
- The patient may experience swelling near the jaw area or face.
- Numbness in the area near the cheek, lips, chin and tongue.
- Anesthesia-associated risks- The patient usually may feel dizzy and weak after the surgery. It is for a short period only.
- Some additional risks associated with All-on-4 dental implants may include Feeling of change near your teeth
- How much does All-on-4 Dental Implant Cost?
All-on-4 dental implants cost depends on a number of aspects like:
- Number of teeth you need to get replaced
- The type of material you choose for your implant.
- A number of years of experience your doctor has, doctor’s fees and hospital/clinic charges.
- The type of insurance, whether it can cover your implant costs or not.
Regardless, the All-on-4 dental implants cost you anywhere between 1.5 Lakh INR – 2.2 Lakh INR. At Orion Dental Care you will get complete dental and oral care solutions. Orion Dental Care ensures patients’ extreme safety and comfort by providing them with the latest treatments and techniques in dentistry. The dental experts at Orion Dental Care ensures patient satisfaction by providing them with cost-effective treatment with a higher success rate
Take Away
A prosthodontic procedure like All-on-4 dental implant provides permanent, exceptionally secure, fixed dentures with the option of same-day replacement for the entire upper and / or lower set of teeth. If you are looking for dental implant surgery, then undergoing an all-on-4-dental implant procedure is the best option you can choose for! Even though the benefits of All-on-4 dental implants outweigh its associated risks, it’s really necessary for an individual to weigh the pros and cons of the surgery to get the best out of it. Before going for the procedure you can also get a second opinion from another dentist.