What is All on 4 Dental Implants?

It is very common for adults to lose their teeth as they age.  In fact, over 35 million Americans are missing all their lower and/or upper teeth.  Instead of living with the condition or dealing with the discomfort and hassles associated with dentures, many are choosing to restore their smile with full mouth dental implants.  Because of advancements in dental implant technology, using just four implants (known as All-on-4 dental implants), rather than an implant for each and every missing tooth, is now possible to replace all of a patient’s upper or lower teeth.

What is a Dental Implant?

Dental implants use small titanium screws or posts that fit inside the jawbone to replace the roots of a missing tooth.  Through a minor surgical procedure, the patient’s gums are opened in order to allow for the implant to be placed in the jawbone.  Once the titanium bases have been inserted, a crown is screwed into place to give the patient a functional, and realistic-looking, prosthetic tooth.  Traditional dental implants can last 10-15 years and can be cleaned like natural teeth.

How are All on 4 Dental Implants Different?

Traditionally, replacing a full set of teeth with dental implants used a combination of individual tooth implants and implant supported bridges.  This technique typically required 8-10 implants per jaw.  This is no longer the case when opting for All on 4 implants.  Rather than placing an implant for each lost tooth, All on 4 implants restore the mouth using four precisely placed implants on the top and/or bottom of the jaw.  Since the implants are made of titanium, they are able to fuse to the jawbone as part of the natural healing process.  Because of this, the implant eventually becomes part of the jawbone creating a strong, long-lasting foundation for the new crown.  In addition to keeping the implant permanently secured in place, bone fusion can also help prevent future bone loss in the jaw, helps maintain a more youthful facial structure, and improves oral health.

All on 4 dental implants are preferable to traditional implants in several ways.  By requiring fewer sockets to be inserted into the patient’s jawbone, the process for All on 4 implants is quicker, easier, and more comfortable.  Because the process for All on 4 implants requires less surgical time and materials than traditional dental implants, it is significantly cheaper ($12,000-$25,000 per jaw vs. $20,000-$45,000).

In addition to being more cost effective and taking less time during surgery, another advantage of All on 4 implants is the reduction in overall treatment time.  With traditional implants, patients typically need to heal for about six months before the crown can be placed and temporary dentures are often needed in between surgery and placement of the permanent crowns.  All on 4 implants do not have this requirement as the crowns can be affixed immediately after the implants have been placed allowing the patient to resume normal life quicker.  While patients generally experience some swelling, bruising, or general discomfort after the surgery, the recovery time with All on 4 can be quicker than traditional implants due to the fewer number of implants needed.