Many edentulous patients are delighted to get their new dentures to fully restore their smiles. Unfortunately, though, that honeymoon period is often a short-lived one as the patients quickly discover that their new appliances fail to meet their expectations.
Discomfort and unreliability are the most common complaints from conventional denture wearers, and a treatment known as All-on-4 can resolve both of these issues.
This intervention uses just four dental implants to support an upper or lower denture (or both, when necessary). Those four implants make a dramatic difference in the patient’s satisfaction with his or her new smile. They offer more short-term security and greater long-term stability, as well. All-on-4 dental implants also feel more like biological teeth.Â
Discomfort and unreliability are the most common complaints from conventional denture wearers, and a treatment known as All-on-4 can resolve both of these issues.
In providing this treatment, the periodontist inserts the four dental implants into the jaw, and the denture is specially designed to slide into place over them. The implants can be placed in a matter of hours, and most patients can receive at least a temporary appliance at the end of that appointment. All-on-4 can help to restore a patient’s smile in a single day!
While bone loss can be an obstacle for dental implant placement, All-on-4 can even be used in patients who have already experienced this phenomenon. The periodontist places the four dental implants toward the front of the jaw where the bone is thicker and erodes more slowly.
An implant-supported denture stays in place better than a conventional denture does, and it’s less likely to need to be replaced after several years have passed. Because the dental implants serve as prosthetic tooth roots, they help to anchor the jawbone and prevent its atrophy. Therefore, the jaw’s shape stays constant and the appliance’s fit is consistent over time.
If you’ve found yourself dissatisfied with your conventional dentures, consider All-on-4 as a potential upgrade that will leave you smiling once again. Schedule a consultation at our practice to speak to one of our experts about this intervention and learn whether it might be right for you.
