What Is All-on-4?

What Is All-on-4  - Mackay - Plaza Dental

We are often asked what the All-on-4 treatment involves, and whether or not people might be suitable. In this blog, we are going to look at All-on-4, how it works, who it is for and what you need to do to look after it in the long-term.

What is All-on-4 and how does it work?

All-on-4 sometimes called all-on-X, is where a full arch, or an entire jaw is treated by usually 4 to 6 implants spaced around the jaw with a fixed set of teeth that is screwed into it.

What this means is that it cannot be taken out by patients and can only be removed by the dentist. This means that it provides more stability, and better function than even the best dentures. In addition, because it replaces all the teeth we can also give you a beautiful smile.

The reason we are able to only use 4 or 6 implants per jaw is because by splitting them together with the rigid framework supporting the teeth we make them much stronger than they would be separately.

Exactly how many implants are required varies from person to person depending on factors such as the volume of bone that is available and the density of that bone. As a general rule because the bone is less dense in the upper jaw than the lower jaw, more implants are required to support the teeth in the upper jaw than the lower jaw.

All-on-4 treatment is a complex process. It requires careful planning. While it is sometimes possible to remove the teeth, place the implants, and provide a temporary prosthesis all in a single day or over the course of a few days, much more commonly because there are associated problems, a transitional denture is required. In addition the definitive all on 4 appliance cannot be made until all the implants have integrated with the bone and the bone has fully healed. This means that All-on-4 treatment time generally spans over a few months.

Who is it for?

All-on-4 is for people who have already lost all the teeth in their jaws, or who have teeth that are in poor condition that their long term survival is doubtful. It is also for people who have lost some of their teeth and while the remaining teeth may be in good condition, the way the teeth have been lost means that their bite has been very poorly affected, or the appearance is unsatisfactory and these things cannot be rectified using conventional dentistry.

What do I need to do to look after my All-on-4 ?

While implants may resemble self-tapping screws, your jaw is not a piece of timber, nor is an implant a dynabolt in a concrete post. Titanium alloy is used in dental implants because over time the bone will heal and stick to the titanium. This process is called Osseointegration.

However, the gums around where the implants are placed need to be kept clean from food and plaque to prevent bacteria invading the bone around the implant. This can lead to loss of that bone and if left unchecked can result in loss of the individual implants.

Fortunately, it is relatively straightforward to clean around the All-on-4 prosthesis as it is specifically designed to make cleaning as easy as possible. We will spend time with you showing you how to properly maintain your new smile.

In addition, it is important that you maintain your regular dental checkups so that we can evaluate how well you are keeping everything clean, and the condition of all the components. In addition, we recommend that every 2 years the appliance is completely removed so that we can check the health around the top of the implants and give your All-on-4 prosthesis a thorough cleaning.

If you feel you may be interested in All-on-4, so you can smile, speak and eat with confidence again, please call our friendly reception team on 07 4942 3272 to make an appointment. We look forward to helping you restore your smile.

DISCLAIMER:

The content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. Plaza Dental does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of the content.

The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional personal diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a dental or medical condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read or seen on the Site.

 

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