Of course, when you have lost an entire arch of teeth, time is also of the essence in replacing them. No one wants to go for weeks or even months with a toothless smile.
Fortunately, one treatment for tooth loss addresses all of the above concerns. All-on-4 uses just four dental implants to support an entire upper or lower denture.
Because only four implants need to be placed in the jaw, patients can get their new teeth in a day. The entire implant placement can be completed in a matter of hours, and in many cases the patient can be fitted with a temporary prosthetic at that same session.
Dental implants are a remarkably strong and durable solution for tooth loss.
Dental implants are a remarkably strong and durable solution for tooth loss. After the oral surgeon inserts them into the jaw, the bone fuses with the implants. Therefore, the implants function similarly to roots of biological teeth.
That structural characteristic means that patients who opt for teeth in a day will preserve much of their chewing function. Unlike a conventional denture, which has no physical connection with the jaw, implant-supported dentures are able to tolerate significant forces close to those absorbed by natural teeth as they chew.
In order to benefit from the strength of All-on-4, patients must be suitable for dental implant placement, which requires adequate bone material to support osseointegration. Ask your oral surgeon if All-on-4 will be appropriate in your case. The good news is that the four implants are placed at the front of the jaw, where the bone is thickest, so many patients are still eligible for this intervention even if they’ve experienced some bone loss after wearing dentures for many years.
All-on-4 dental implants can be a strong solution for tooth loss. Contact our skilled team at Central Oklahoma Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates and explore this treatment option to learn if it might be beneficial for you.