Dental implants act like artificial tooth roots, and the roots of biological teeth play an important role in the functionality of those teeth. For example, your teeth’s roots help to hold your jawbone in place. If they are absent, your jaw will slowly atrophy over time. This can cause facial features such as your lips and even your cheeks to develop a sunken appearance, which will make you look prematurely older.
Additionally, patients who choose All-on-4 will enjoy more chewing function. A bond forms between the bone and the dental implants after the oral surgeon places them in the jaw, and that bond allows the replacement teeth to tolerate the strength of forces needed to process all kinds of food. Patients who have All-on-4 therefore have more dietary options than their counterparts who chose conventional dentures.
All-on-4 dentures are more secure, so these patients often report that they feel more confident and comfortable speaking with the appliances. Patients with conventional dentures may worry about an inopportune slip-up.
In addition to their enhanced functional capabilities, All-on-4 dental implants offer other benefits to patients as well. Because they have a physical connection to the jaw, All-on-4 dental implants feel more lifelike to patients. They also tend to be easier to maintain with typical oral hygiene practices.
Furthermore, All-on-4 can restore a patient’s smile in a single appointment. Because only four dental implants are needed, the oral surgeon can place them all at once in just a few hours, and many patients can be fitted with a temporary appliance at the end of that session.
Do you want to learn more about the benefits of All-on-4? Schedule a consultation at our office. We’ll evaluate your case to determine if you are a good candidate for this procedure and give you the information you need to make the treatment decision that is the best fit for you.