For a long time, patients who lost all the teeth in a jaw were very limited in their options. Dentures did a good job, but their disadvantages were widely known. They included the need to have new sets fit periodically, as well as restrictions on patient diets caused by the limits of the materials they were made from. Today, there is another option for patients, one that is permanent and comfortable, that looks like their natural smile. It even stimulates the jaw like natural teeth do. That option is all-on-4 dental implants.
What Makes All-on-4 Implants Different
For a long time, dental implants were used in place of bridge work, as a replacement for teeth when there were still at least a few left in the jaw. They worked great for this purpose because implants could replace a couple of teeth on an anchor, making it easy to place a few in spots around the jaw to fill in for missing teeth. Originally, it was deemed too invasive to try to place enough anchors for a total replacement of the teeth in a jaw, but all-on-4 changed that.
The key is the use of just four anchor points to provide a stable base for a full arch of replacement teeth set atop them. The four evenly spaced anchors provide enough stability and strength to get a performance like your natural teeth, but without the need for anchors every time you need to set a new replacement tooth or pair.
Advantages of All-on-4 Dental Implants
Patients who opt for this procedure enjoy all the benefits discussed above, but there’s a lot more they get as well.
· Fast recovery times—often just a couple days
· Permanent replacements for missing teeth
· No dietary restrictions—all-on-4 can handle your favorite foods
If you want to learn more about whether you are a candidate for these implants, contact our office for an appointment to talk to a periodontist about your needs.
