What Are All-On-Four Implants?

Dealing with missing teeth is a reality for millions of people, especially those over the age of 40. Once gum disease or tooth decay has damaged the majority of your natural teeth, you may realize it's time to choose dentures rather than trying to save just a few remaining teeth. Yet dentures come with their own disadvantages as well. Getting implant-supported dentures gives you the best features of both options with fewer drawbacks. Dental implants are a good option for filling in smaller gaps, but a slightly different installation method is used if you want them to support upper and lower dentures. Decide if this is the right method for your smile makeover with this handy guide.

Benefits of Implants for Supporting Dentures

Almost all of the potential drawbacks of using dentures are eliminated by anchoring them in place with four dental implants. You'll get clear speech with a much shorter adjustment period because the dentures stay in place and don't slide around as you're speaking. This also helps when you're biting and chewing, especially foods like whole apples and slices of pizza. Chewing is easier than ever. There's no need to apply sticky adhesives or pads in the dentures to keep them in place. Yet you can still remove the dentures to clean them and check them for signs of damage. You don't have to choose between dentures or dental implants in Scottsdale when you choose the All-on-Four treatment option.

How Do These Dentures Work?

There's no need to place a dental implant to replace every single tooth you're missing. If you have all of your natural teeth removed, the dentist can space the implants so that only four are needed to support the upper and lower plates of the dentures. That's four posts in the upper gums and four in the lower gums. If you still have most or all of your natural teeth on the upper or lower palate, you can get a denture plate just for the part of your mouth that's missing the most teeth. The dentures are modeled to mimic the look of your natural teeth so they blend in when necessary. There is a high rate of success with this type of dental device, even after 5 to 10 years of use. It can be completed by your cosmetic dentist in Scottsdale as well so you don't need to travel to a specialty treatment center just to have the surgery completed.

The front two implants are installed straight up and down, while the rear two implants are angled to provide more support. This helps add strength under the molars to withstand the surprisingly strong forces generated by your jaws as you chew. There's no need for multiple surgeries or extra waiting periods for healing, speeding up the speed of your smile makeover. Many patients have a sparkling new smile and restored chewing ability in as little as three to six months after starting the treatment plan.

Who is a Good Candidate for This Kind of Surgery?

The All-On-Four procedure is designed for patients with good overall health and relatively few complications with their jaw or gum health. If you've had missing teeth for years and experienced gum disease before losing the teeth, you may need bone or gum grafting before considering this kind of treatment. Patients with good existing gum and bone tissue will be able to start the process right away. You'll need to have your remaining natural teeth removed before starting the implant surgeries. Discuss any issues like diabetes, heart disease, or cancer that affect you with the dentist to ensure you're getting the right solution for your missing teeth.

Schedule your consultation with a Scottsdale cosmetic dentist to find out what can be done to restore your smile and your self-confidence along with it. We here at Sarko Dental Associates are committed to providing you with the best All-On-Four implant-supported dentures or any other restorative work we can offer you.

‍