A Detailed Guide to Getting New Teeth in a Day with “All-on-4” Dental Implants, PART 2

This four-part article series provides an in-depth discussion on what the “All-on-4” technique is, how it works and its benefits over other traditional tooth replacement technologies.

Welcome back to our four-part article series on “All-on-4” dental implants and how this breakthrough technique enables patients to get a full set of new teeth in as little as a single day. In our previous article post, the first installment of the series, we provided a brief introduction by looking at tooth loss statistics in the United States. We saw that a staggering number of people - 33 million to be precise - are currently living without a single original adult tooth left in their mouths and that a further 100 million people have lost between 11 and 15 of their teeth. We then introduced Dr. Paulo Malo - the European implantologist who innovated a far more sophisticated solution to rampant tooth loss and edentulism (the state of being toothless)... “All-on-4” implants.

In this article, Part 2, we shall examine exactly how the “All-on-4” protocol works and the procedure required to place it.

What is the “All-on-4”?

The “All-on-4” is a technique for the replacement of entire arches of missing teeth using dental implants. Take a look at the picture below...

This picture explains the concept behind the “All-on-4” and how the technique works. During a single surgery, an implant dentist inserts four dental implants in the mouth: two near the front of the mouth and two near the back, in the region of the third molars. These implants are then used to support a dental prosthesis, which is customized to fit the patient’s mouth snugly and comfortably. The prosthesis is also expertly fabricated to precisely resemble a complete set of natural teeth and because it is anchored to dental implants, it is fixed, non-removable and cannot slip around or fall out!

Bone Loss and Over-Coming the Need for Bone Grafting

The placement of the four implants is carefully and precisely planned beforehand with the use of sophisticated 3D Cone Beam CT and imaging software. This planning ensures that the dentist can reap maximum support from what remaining bone volume a patient has, while avoiding damage to vital structures, arteries and nerves in the patient’s mouth.

What causes bone loss in the jaw?

Being toothless and wearing dentures has several consequences for a patient’s health and comfort. One of these consequences is the loss of bone volume in the jaw. Without the tooth roots to keep the jawbone stimulated and alive, this hard tissue atrophies and wastes away from disuse. This remodeling process is what necessitates the refitting of dentures every few years or so and it’s also what causes a patient’s face to look increasingly sunken, aged and collapsed around the mouth.

In most cases, when patients do finally come to the implant dentist to have “All-on-4” dental implants placed, they’ve spent several years being toothless and have, as a result, lost supporting bone volume. Through the careful orientation and angulation of “All-on-4” dental implants, dentists can provide enough support for a new set of teeth, typically without having to perform bone grafting surgery beforehand. This saves tens of thousands of dollars on the cost of such a procedure and the many, many months that patients would otherwise have to spend in recovery.

Avoiding the need for bone grafting in most cases is what makes it possible for “All-on-4” dental implants to give patients new teeth in a day.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

Want to find out more about “All-on-4” dental implants? In Part 3, we shall move on to discuss the benefits of this procedure over traditional approaches to tooth loss treatment.

A Detailed Guide to Getting New Teeth with “All-on-4” Dental Implants, PART 1

This four-part article series provides an in-depth discussion on what the “All-on-4” technique is, how it works and its benefits over other traditional tooth replacement technologies.

Introduction

We’ve come very far as a society. The illnesses that might once have killed us can now be treated with a single pill or prevented entirely with a single injection. The injuries that might once have left us stricken and immobile can now be repaired in surgery with the use of titanium metal pins and joints. A failed organ would mark the end of your life – nowadays we can replace them with new ones. Modern medicine and surgery work wonders and our understanding of the importance of good hygiene, good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle prevent us from falling ill more frequently. Yet in spite of all of this, tooth loss is still one of the most prevalent health issues in the United States.

According to the Surgeon General Report, about 33 million Americans have lost every single one of their original adult teeth. A further 100 million have lost between 11 and 15 of their teeth. The cause of rampant tooth loss and edentulism (the state of being toothless) is most commonly tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. But, just as we are able to prevent and treat a whole host of illnesses and conditions, so too can modern dental healthcare experts prevent and treat the nasty ailments that cause tooth loss.

And if it is too late for treatment, you can get new teeth in a day.

In this Four-Part Article Series...

Welcome to our four-part article series on tooth loss and the modern sophisticated dental implant protocol – the “All-on-4” - that can be used to give patients beautiful new teeth in one day. In Part 1, we shall be discussing the development of the “All-on-4” technique. In Part 2, we shall examine exactly how this protocol works and the procedure required to place it. In Part 3, we shall move on to discuss the benefits of “All-on-4” implants over traditional approaches to tooth loss treatment and in Part 4, we shall take a look at the costs involved.

So, without further ado, let’s begin!

The Conception of “All-on-4” Implants

Removable dentures have been the preferred teeth replacement method for many hundreds of years. Even when dental implants were introduced in 1950 and became popular in the subsequent decades, patients still opted for dentures to replace arches of missing teeth. This had much to do with the cost of replacing so many missing teeth with implants, but also the trauma of such procedures, which would often take several months and even up to a year and a half to give patients new teeth.

European implantologist, Dr. Paulo Malo recognized the desperate need of patients for a new and more sophisticated solution to rampant tooth loss and edentulism. Removable dentures simply came with too many challenges and repeat expenses for them to remain a viable treatment solution in an age where comfort, functionality and aesthetics are a key concern of any rehabilitative endeavor. So, after many years of research, development and clinical trials, Dr. Malo introduced the world to “All-on-4” dental implants: a cost-effective and efficient system for the replacement of entire dental arches.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

What is the “All-on-4” and how does it work? Stay tuned for Part 2 of this four-part article series to find out more about this breakthrough protocol in the treatment of patients in need of new teeth.