People experiencing the loss of many or maybe all of their real teeth have multiple options for replacing them, but one of the most innovative alternatives is All-On-4 dental implants. All-On-4 dental implants are implant-supported dentures that replace a full arch of missing teeth with only 4 dental implants, instead of the conventional 8.
This technique is among the most successful and cost-effective treatments for several patients, especially for those who have undergone bone atrophy and do not have standard implants.
The loss of teeth can be quite devastating and it can cause embarrassment, low self-confidence, and social withdrawal. A dental implant can significantly enhance the look of the smile, bringing back your facial contour and in turn, boosting your self-esteem.
Furthermore, dental implants are a much safer approach than dentures or bridges, which of course, makes them optimal for those individuals who chew tough foods or conduct routine physical activities.
A dental implant can act as a replacement for a single missing tooth or multiple teeth within the same arch. They are titanium stations that are positioned into the jawbone. The actual tooth is glued somehow to these implants, enabling patients to speak without any worry or concern about gaps in their smile and chew normally.
Introducing All-On-4 Dental Implants
A dental implant acts as a replacement for a missing tooth by inserting an artificial metal root into the jawbone that supports a replacement crown.
However, if you are one of those people who is missing numerous teeth and requires full or partial dentures, the replacement of each tooth with an implant can be quite a lengthy procedure. Thus, All-On-4 provides an innovative solution.
Rather than utilizing a single implant for every tooth, Dr. Roland Zhuka can offer you an entire upper or lower arch of teeth, by simply employing four metal roots.
Throughout your appointment, Dr. Zhuka will administer anesthesia prior to making a thin cut in the gum tissue. Next, he will use a small drill to place, strategically, the four titanium roots before closing the gums using sutures and stitches. The complete process takes about 2 hours and a half per arch.
Following your surgery, the new roots have to fully fuse with the jawbone during a process referred to as osseointegration, before Dr. Roland Zhuka can safely secure the dental prostheses in place. This process takes from 3 to 6 months. Ultimately, with the proper maintenance, All-On-4 dental implants can last for life.
The Benefits Of All-On-4 Implants
All-On-4 dental implants offer multiple benefits since they can create a stable and permanent basis for dental prostheses. Some of the benefits of All-On-4 dental implants include the following:
Prevent Bone Loss & Degradation
Considering that the tooth is no longer subjected to mastication pressures, dental implants are able to prevent bone loss and degradation. With time, whenever teeth are extracted from the sockets, it leads to a lot of distress on the jawbone.
Consequently, this makes the remaining teeth quite susceptible to falling out, which causes tooth loss. Dental implants help reduce the risks and enable much more predictable treatment results. At Dr. Roland Zhuka, we provide outstanding All-On-4 dental implant service.
Restore Your Appearance
Dental implants can make you much more confident by restoring your appearance. This also implies the restoration of facial contours and boosting of self-esteem. After undergoing a dental implant surgery not only will you be capable of smiling sans being self-conscious about the vacancies in your teeth, but you will have the very original structure of your jawbone.
You will not notice the certain alterations in the speech that can often precede tooth loss, and you will not get hollowed cheeks in any way because of jawbone degradation. Whenever speaking, the dentures not appropriately secured in your mouth will not make any clicking sound. Dental implants or your new replacement teeth are an enhancement over the teeth you previously had.
Greater Self Confidence
Dentures can affect your confidence and make you feel self-conscious and they might make you feel less comfortable. Dental implants offer you the right confidence to go out and hang out with people without thinking much about your chewing or talking ability.
People who have gotten dental implants more often than not get surprised at how simple eating different foods is and how effortless chewing is, without suffering from any pain or discomfort. There is no need to worry about the replacement teeth slipping out of place, whether it is while eating a steak or while chewing gum.
Long-Lasting Solution
Dentures need to be replaced with time, meaning they can only last so long. This implies that you will have to spend hundreds of dollars on dentures that will need replacement every two to three years. Implants, on the contrary, are more of a permanent solution.
They are tailored to last for a lifetime and need replacement only if there is any harm or decay in the mouth. If the jawbone deteriorates, the implants can be replaced instead of the entire arch. Undoubtedly, visiting your dentist regularly to make sure that the implant stays intact and is working well is fundamental.
Quick Results
Dental implants are a swift procedure that typically only takes a couple of days to complete. You might be concerned about the procedure but the majority of people are well shocked at how quick and simple an implant can be. Before you know it, you will be able to get back to your daily routine, enjoying and smiling, making the most of the higher quality of life that dental implants offer.
Easier Care & Better Hygiene
Denture care is quite hard and can oftentimes lead to decay and infections. Dental implants enhance dental hygiene by making sure that the teeth are protected from germs and bacteria. There will not be any need to worry about gum disease or tooth decay ever again.
Maintaining All-On-4 teeth and implants is easy and might be accomplished by adhering to the same routines you would for your normal oral hygiene, the ones you are not used to. You will still need to make brushing, flossing, oral rinses, and check-up visits at the dentist regularly, a habit. They are all crucial habits that you need to keep up with.
Natural Feel And Appearance
One of the biggest benefits of dental implants is the fact that they imitate your real teeth. They look and feel very natural, which means that they are comfortable to wear over a bridge or denture.
Seeing as the jawbone remains intact and doesn’t degrade, you will feel the same natural sensation of chewing and biting that you are used to. Oftentimes, dentures do not feel as though they fit properly in the mouth, which can lead to them being uncomfortable or sometimes even painful.
What Is An All-On-4 Dental Implant?
All-On-4 dental implants are a set of four dental implants, a fixed bridge, and four multi-unit abutments. The implants are positioned in pairs- two are in the canine region of the jaw and two in the premolar region.
Titanium Posts
In order to facilitate rapid cell growth, All-On-4 dental implants are composed of four titanium metal posts and angled connections with high shock absorption and specific surfaces. Such implants are then placed into the jaw region with the most high degree of bone density, namely, the anterior maxilla. Positioned at a 45-degree angle, they are able to support a full set of artificial teeth attached to a bridge.
The titanium posts have the shape of small screws. And the screw threads are surrounded by a biocompatible film which enables the bone tissue to fuse with the titanium.
Compared to other alloy alternatives, All-On-4 dental implants made of titanium-metal provide high durability and biocompatibility. Considering that titanium has a higher resistance to corrosives than alloy, the chances of oxidation on the outer surface are minimal.
Following the implantation, the posts will have to undergo a process noted as osseointegration- during which the implants fuse with the bone material in the jaw. The pressure encourages osteoclast cells to create new bone tissue surrounding the screw threads. This implies that dental implants have a higher structural security, aiding you in chewing and eating, similarly to how you’d do with your real teeth.
Abutments
Abutments are a fundamental element of All-On-4 dental implants. The angled multi-unit abutments are utilized for the connection of several tooth implants and the creation of the effect of an unbroken bridge. A multi-unit abutment can bring the bridge closer to the surface of the gums, making it much simpler for the dental practitioner to restore the missing teeth.
Furthermore, multi-unit abutments create a level surface for the fixed bridge that will be anchored onto. The angled abutments can simply be altered to create an aesthetically pleasing bite alignment.
What Is The All-On-4 Dental Implant Procedure?
Prior to undergoing a procedure, the dentist will evaluate and establish oral health in order to determine if the dental implants are the most viable missing teeth replacement. The evaluation process includes an examination of your gum line, jawbone, teeth, and the incorporation of imaging equipment such as 3D scans and X-rays. The dentist’s recommendation might be a tooth extraction or another preparatory dental procedure, prior to the implant.
If you are a suitable candidate for All-On-4 dental implants, the dentists will take intraoral scans of the bite, gums, and teeth. Such digital images will be used for the creation of a 3D model required to produce the bridge.
At Dr. Roland Zhuka’s clinic, we use a 3D printer to fabricate dental restorations and can alter your bridge with stains and color to provide you with a perfect match. Once the bridge has been printed, the titanium bases will be fitted, and it is now ready for placement in your mouth.
What Is The All-On-4 Dental Implant Procedure Recovery Time?
Taking into account that the All-On-4 dental implant procedure is a minimally invasive one, the recovery process is relatively swift and quick, always if you adhere to your dentist’s post-operation guidelines. Following the procedure you might be left with a sore mouth, and there is even some swelling to be expected, as well as discomfort, for several days. The majority of people do not experience much pain from the treatment and they are ready to get back to work within three to four days.
After undergoing such a procedure, as per every other surgery, rest is crucial- even more so because this way you can make sure that the gum tissue and jawbone are healing properly during the early recovery stage. Do not participate in any excessive activity until your dentist gives you permission to.
Stick to a soft food diet and liquids, at least for the few initial days after the surgery. Some staples to assist in your recovery are protein shakes, broths, scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, smoothies, and blended soups. As you heal, you can resume your normal diet, as long as the foods do not lead to any discomfort while eating.
The full recovery from an All-On-4 dental implant surgery might take approximately 6 months, which is essentially much shorter than conventional dental implants and denture procedures.
How Do I Clean All-On-4 Dental Implants?
Dental implants are quite susceptible to bacterial growth leading to infection in the mouth and erosion, similar to natural teeth. Taking care of your All-On-4 dental implant, meaning cleaning it, after each meal or even twice per day can keep your oral health in check.
Removing all food debris is fundamental, seeing as they can lead to bacterial growth under or even on the bridge. You can clean your All-On-4 dental implant as follows:
- By cleaning the dentures using a toothbrush after each meal. An electric toothbrush can be much more efficient in such cases.
- By using a toothbrush in order to clean each side of your cheeks and the top of the tongue, for the removal of stuck-on foods.
- By flossing your bridge after each meal or at a minimum of twice per day in order to remove any food particles or debris underneath the bridge.
- By rinsing your mouth with the use of an alcohol-free antibacterial mouth rinse. If you are in public, you might wanna rinse your mouth with water, considering that you do not have a mouthwash nearby.
- By going for routine professional cleaning with your local dentist.
Aside from your everyday oral care utilities, you might want to utilize a tuft toothbrush to clean up your dental implants. Such a toothbrush is customized to clean even hard-to-reach regions in your mouth. The bristles on the tiny brush head will fit easier into smaller crevices and clean any point where the gum line and dental implant meet.
If you find that a tuft toothbrush is still too big for you, try using a proxy brush. This type of interdental brush is tailored to clean in between teeth and all around the implants and bridge. Its bristles are attached to a very thin wire, enabling the brush to fit in the tightest spaces.
How Long Do All-On-4 Dental Implants Last?
The main benefit of All-On-4 dental implants is the fact that they are able to replace any missing tooth and are quite enduring. A longitudinal research followed about 250 people who received dental implants for 10 years. The patients part of the study stated a high success rate of their implants at about 98% after 5 years and 95% after 10 years.
The complete 10-year survival rate of the prosthesis glued to the implant was 99%. In conclusion, All-On-4 dental implants provide a long-term solution for those needing a full-mouth dental restoration. The existing study is limited to 10 years, but the success rate is highly likely to go beyond this timeframe.
People with this type of dental implant can wait for a couple of complications or failures from the implants and prostheses. Taking care of your dental implant by regularly checking it up and maintaining good oral hygiene aids in prolonging its life. Cease smoking and drinking alcohol, as both can lead to stains in your dental prostheses or injury of the area of the implant, shortening this way, its lifespan.
Wrapping Up!
Dental implants are an outstanding solution for many people. Not only because they are secure and safe, but they have a longer lifespan than dentures or bridges.
Among the most common reasons why people choose to get dental implants is the fact they represent their natural teeth’s appearance without the additional spending of thousands of money on bridges and dentures. Dental implants can easily provide patients with a brand new smile and self-esteem, that leads to a higher quality of life when speaking long term.
English 
Italiano 
Shqip 
Français 