All on Four Dental Implants

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Dental implants are a popular provision in the UK and across the world, offering people an effective, simple, and straightforward way of replacing missing or lost teeth. A huge variety of dental implants have been developed over the years, and one of the most innovative and successful implant designs has been the all-on-4 implants.

Some dental conditions require patients to place over 10 implants in their jaw, especially to hold dentures in place correctly. The All-on-4 dental implant is a recent innovative substitute of multiple implants designed to hold the denture firmly in place using only four implants. The innovation is based on the fact that the four implants are placed at strategic intervals on the jaw and at a 45° angle as opposed to vertical implants. This system allows a denture to stay firmly in place using a minimal amount of implants and bone grafting. Furthermore, in contrast to the classic “two stage” implant where several months are required to allow the jaw to fuse correctly with the implant, the All-on-4 implant allows the denture to be placed within hours after the implants have been inserted.   Furthermore, it is important to remember that dental implants are designed to naturally fuse with your bone and gum and to look natural amongst your other teeth. Therefore, the risk of implant rejection or cosmetic unpleasantness is inexistent, given that your dentist operates with skill. In addition to all this, modern dentures look extremely natural and are also very comfortable to use and easy to keep clean. 

What are all-on-4 implants?

Like other dental implants, all-on-4s are like replacement teeth for people who, for whatever reason, have lost their natural teeth. Each artificial replacement involves a synthetic version of the root of a tooth, the part that isn’t visible and descends deep into your gums. The root is responsible for each tooth’s stability, and also possesses vessels and nerve endings that innervate your teeth. Each dental implant is essentially an artificial root to which dentures, crowns or bridges can be affixed. Each of these is essentially a type of artificial tooth, and the type used depends on your individual needs and preferences.

All-on-4 implants are different to other dental implants in that the overall procedure will involve attaching a denture the implant in one day. Normally the implant process will involve a recovery period, after which a temporary crown is installed until the gum tissue around the implant has recovered and matured (usually over a period of 4-6 weeks). After this period, a final, permanent crown or denture will be affixed to the implant. The fact that all-on-4 implants can be applied on the same day has made the procedure much more attractive to many people, and has earned the procedure monikers like the ‘Same Day Smile’ or ‘Smile in a Day’.

The name of this particular form of implant is derived from the fact that the all-on-4 implants rely on only 4 dental implants to support a full arch. Two implants are placed at the front of the jaw being treated, and two are placed at the back. The ones at the back are tilted to compensate for the smaller amount of bone in the rear portion of the jaw. This technique not only means you need fewer implants that can be used straight away, but that these implants are more secure as they are firmly placed in the strong bone at the front of the jaw.

Why use all-on-4 implants?

Traditional dental implants take much longer to affix and involve multiple appointments and procedures which can be both time and cost ineffective.

All-on-4 implants use 4 implants to support a full complement of artificial teeth, compared to as many 10 implants required by traditional dental implants. Recovery time is vastly shortened, and the waiting period during which temporary fixtures are applied is eliminated with all-on-4 implants. This means that replacement crowns or dentures can be affixed straight away, getting you back into working order far more efficiently.

The number of appointments and the waiting period associated with traditional dental implants has been a major obstacle in the past, and all-on-4 implants offer a very effective and viable solution. All-on-4 also bring all the benefits that any other dental implant can offer, including the convenience of not having to remove dentures on a regular basis, access to a broader range of foods due to the increased bite strength offered by the implants, and the restoration of jawbone as the implants can stimulate bone growth and recovery.

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