Are All on Four Dental Implants the Best Solution for Missing Teeth?

Dentistry and dental implant technology is always advancing, always getting better. After all, people will always need dental care, and the safer and more effective we can make it, the better.

One of the most important advancements in this field in the past decade or so are certainly All on Four dental implants. You may have started hearing more about this technique recently. And no wonder, seeing how it can be a great solution for most people. But is it always the best solution for all people?

We reached out to dental professionals at Temecula Facial Oral Surgery in order to learn a bit more about the technique and when it is appropriate to implement it.

How We Replace Missing Teeth

Having missing teeth is not only aesthetically unappealing, it can also be bad for your health. This is why we have always tried to find a way to replace our missing teeth. From dentures made of ivory and bone, to supposed wooden teeth of President George Washington to modern technical ceramics replacement teeth that are practically indistinguishable from the real thing.

Nowadays, there are different options to replace your missing teeth, depending on the situation. Perhaps the most common, and the most inexpensive option are dentures. These replacement teeth can be made of a variety of materials, but they have one thing in common – they are removable. This can also make them uncomfortable to wear, though.

Dental implants, on the other hand, rely on an artificial tooth root being drilled into your jawbone. This (usually titanium) root is then topped with an artificial crown. Titanium promotes bone growth, so the implant will actually fuse with the bone, making this a permanent solution.

Solutions for Multiple Missing Teeth

If you are not satisfied with removable dentures, and you have multiple teeth missing, you could install implants for each individual tooth. However, this can get really expensive really quickly, so most people don’t go for that option.

Instead, a popular option is the so-called bridge. Essentially, you can have multiple (adjacent) teeth supported by a single implant. However, this is a limited option, as you can only fit a few teeth on a single implant before the whole thing becomes a bit unstable.

All on Four

This is why All on Four is such a good solution. If you need a whole arch of teeth, getting All on Four implants is the perfect solution. You can install a whole arch on just four implants and thanks to this configuration, implants can be placed in the areas of your jaw where there is no bone loss.

This means that you won’t have to have bone grafts prior to installation, and thanks to the reduced number of implants, the teeth can sit more naturally in your jaw and feel better to use. Best of all, these dental implants are much faster to install – precisely because they do not require so much preparation ahead of the procedure.

With the right dental professional, you can have a new set of teeth in a matter of days and with just two visits. This is why All on Four is often referred to as ‘teeth in a day’. And while it might be more than a single day, the speed of the whole process is certainly another point in the ‘for’ column for All on Four.

Deciding to go through with a complex dental procedure takes some courage, especially if you have been without teeth for a while and aren’t accustomed to dentists. This is why it is important to find a dentist who can make you feel comfortable and provide the care and quality service that you need.