If you are missing or are soon to lose your teeth, or are looking for a more secure, comfortable and natural-looking alternative to traditional dentures, you may have heard of All-on-4 dental implants.
All on 4 dental implants are a superior dental implant treatment, designed to look, feel and function just like natural teeth.
In this article, we’ll explore what’s involved in the All on 4 dental implants procedure, from start to finish, and what you can expect when receiving this treatment. Spoiler alert: it ends with a smile that will open doors…
What is the All on 4 dental procedure?
The All-on-4 procedure is an advanced teeth replacement solution used to replace all of the teeth in the upper or lower jaw (or both). It involves the placement of at least four (or sometimes six) dental implants into the jaw, which hold a natural-looking tooth bridge of up to 12 teeth in place.
This treatment uses an innovative placement technique where two straight implants are placed at the front of the jaw and two angled implants are placed at the back of the jaw. The angled implants help to overcome any bone deficiencies a patient may have due to jaw bone loss. In most cases, it helps us avoid the need for jaw bone grafting before placing the implants, resulting in a quicker, more comfortable and more cost-effective treatment.
And the best part? The tooth bridge can be fixed to the dental implants shortly after surgery. This means you can get back to smiling, speaking and eating with comfort and confidence in just days!
All on 4 procedure step by step
The All on 4 dental implants procedure is highly complex and requires a huge amount of technical skill and expertise. While All on 4 may require many hours of meticulous treatment planning by your dentist, the procedure itself is actually quite straightforward for patients. To give you an idea of what your All-on-4 treatment could look like, we’ve broken down the All on 4 dental implants procedure steps below.
Step 1: Consultation and assessment
To assess your suitability for All-on-4 dental implants, we schedule an initial consultation where we:
- Examine your teeth
- Discuss your medical history
- Determine if you’re a good candidate for All on four
- Discuss all suitable treatment options
- Answer any questions you have
We’ll then take digital scans and photographs of your teeth, gums and mouth, so we can begin planning the dental implant placement (typically two at the front and two at the back per jaw) and designing your new smile.
You’ll leave with all questions answered, a treatment plan clearly outlining the cost of All on 4 and a sense of excitement about your brand new smile.
Step 2: Placing the dental implants
Your dental implants will be placed under IV sedation (also called sleep dentistry), where you’ll still be awake, but very calm and comfortable. Local anaesthetic is also used to numb your mouth so you won’t feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure. During this time (approximately 3-4 hours per jaw), we’ll remove any remaining teeth and fit the four titanium implants into your jawbone. Your all-on-four dental implants will then be covered with a healing abutment to protect and seal the top of the implant.
Due to the anaesthetic, you’ll need a family member or friend to escort you home. We’ll see you in 2-3 days to fit your temporary tooth bridge.
It’s normal to experience some pain, bruising and swelling for at least the first 3 days after surgery but this can be easily managed with pain relief (this will be provided). Eating will also be an adjustment after your implants are inserted. A soft food diet is required for at least the first few days after surgery so be sure to stock up on plenty of purees, yoghurt, smoothies or cooled soup. You’ll also need to take around a week off work/your usual activities to rest and recover.
Step 3: Temporary tooth bridge insertion
Typically, you’ll return around 3 days later to have either your temporary high-performance resin tooth bridge or your final acrylic over titanium tooth bridge (only suitable for some patients who select the Essential Care Package) connected to your implants. It should take 45 minutes for the bridge to be fitted to your dental implants and adjusted to your bite.
Regardless of whether you receive a temporary or final tooth bridge at this stage, rest assured you will leave our Green Door Dental clinic with an aesthetic and functional set of fixed teeth. If you’re wearing a temporary tooth bridge, you’ll return in around 6 months to have your final tooth bridge fitted after your jaw bone and gums have fully healed.
