Missing one or more teeth can cause a variety of hassles. If you are missing teeth, you likely already know that it can be difficult to smile with confidence. You may feel like you are always hiding your mouth or you may also feel self-conscious about your appearance. Depending on how many teeth you are missing, you may also have to avoid eating certain foods simply because they are too difficult to chew. Well, there is good news! There are now dental implants that can restore your smile in as little as one day! These special implants are known as all-on-four implants and they have enabled thousands of people to restore their smiles. Read on to learn more about all-on-four implants and four things that you probably didn’t know about them.
What are dental implants?
First things first, let’s explain what dental implants are and how they work. Dental implants are metal posts that are surgically placed into your jawbone under your gums. Once in place, they fuse with the surrounding bone to act as a sturdy anchor for artificial teeth. Implants act as artificial tooth roots and are a great option for people who are missing one or more teeth due to injury, disease, or some other reason.
All-on-four implants are a specific type of dental implant that can be used to support a full set of dentures. As the name suggests, all-on-four implants require only four implants per arch (upper or lower). In many cases, it generally takes anywhere from 6-8 implants per arch to support a denture. However, all-on-four implants are specially designed to only need four implants. This makes them a great option for people who have lost most or all of their teeth. The implants are placed in the jawbone and act as anchors for the dentures.
Four Things You Didn’t Know About All-on-Four Implants:
Different from Traditional Dentures
All-on-four implants are different from traditional dentures in a few key ways. For starters, all-on-four implants are placed in the jawbone and fuse with the bone over time. This provides a strong foundation for the denture, whereas traditional dentures are held in place with suction. This makes dentures supported by all-on-four implants much more stable than traditional dentures, meaning that you can eat and speak with confidence. They are also permanent and do not need to be removed daily for cleaning like traditional dentures would need to be. Finally, all-on-four implants provide stimulation to the jawbone in order to maintain healthy bone mass. Since traditional dentures only sit on top of the gums, they are unable to provide this same type of stimulation, meaning that the jawbone will eventually deteriorate. As this happens, the fit of the denture will change so that it needs to be replaced. Since all-on-four dentures maintain the jawbone, they will continue to fit and only require replacement when the denture has worn out after several years of use.
Bone Augmentation Procedures Are Not Usually Needed
Another fact that you may not know about all-on-four implants is that bone augmentation procedures are rarely needed to place all-on-four implants. This is because all-on-four implants can be strategically placed in areas that have enough jawbone mass to support the implants. All-on-four implants are also angled to maximize their contact with the jawbone. As a result, all-on-four implants can be used to support a full set of dentures without the need for bone augmentation procedures such as bone grafts, sinus lifts, and ridge expansion. This shortens the overall treatment length, decreases the total cost, and reduces the amount of procedures needed.
You Can Have Teeth in a Day
With all-on-four implants, you can have your new teeth placed on the same day as your surgery. These are known as immediate load or same day implants. While the entire process can take a few weeks to complete, the implants and artificial teeth can be placed during the implant placement surgery. This means that you can walk out of the office with a new set of teeth! Not only that, but all-on-four implants heal faster than traditional implants. In fact, most people are able to return to their usual routine within a few days after having all-on-four implants placed.
Once your mouth heals, a permanent restoration will be fabricated and used to replace the temporary restoration placed during surgery. Since the implants are already in place, switching the dentures is both easy and painless.
All-on-Four Implants Do Not Require Special Care
One final thing that you may not know about all-on-four implants is that they do not require special care. Instead, you only need to care for all-on-four implants much like you would your natural teeth. This means brushing twice a day and flossing daily. It also means visiting your dentist at least twice a year for an exam and cleaning. Although artificial teeth are not susceptible to tooth decay, excess plaque and bacteria can still lead to gum disease or peri-implant diseases, both of which can lead to implant failure. Practicing good oral hygiene decreases the amount of plaque in your mouth and keeps your gums healthy. You also do not have to worry about them slipping or falling out.
In Conclusion
In this blog post, we discussed dental implants, specifically those known as all-on-four implants. We also discussed four things that most people don’t know about all-on-four implants. All-on-four implants are a great option for people who want to restore their smile without the hassle of traditional dentures. If you are missing teeth, all-on-four implants may be a great option for you. They are permanent, stable, and easy to care for. Most importantly, they can restore your smile in as little as one day! Contact your local implant dentist to see if all-on-four implants are right for you.