Are All on 4 Implants The Right Choice For You?

Also sometimes referred to as ‘new teeth in a day’, this can be a good option for replacing multiple missing teeth.

If you have been living with dentures for some time, whether that be for a full arch of missing teeth, or multiple consecutive teeth, you have probably had to put up with a certain amount of inconvenience. Dentures work for some people but others find that they have a tendency to move around in the mouth, sometimes causing soreness of the gums. They can also restrict what you feel comfortable eating and you may have adjusted your diet towards softer foods for this reason.

It is possible that you are aware of dental implants but have ruled them out as the thought of having lots of implants placed to replace each missing tooth seemed both expensive and the procedure quite challenging. In today’s blog, we are going to address this issue by explaining the use of the same day, all-on-4 implants that we provide at our Wickford dental surgery. We think that this will, at the very least, give you another option to think about that could work well for you and avoid the problems we have already mentioned.

What are ‘all-on-4 implants’?

Most patients of the Cygnet Dental Practice Wickford will be aware that we place dental implants here. What they may not be aware of though is that multiple missing teeth can be replaced not by individual implants replacing each tooth, but by using a small number of implants which are strategically placed and then used to support a fixed bridge of replacement teeth.

The number of implants used will vary according to the situation. A full arch replacement may use four or sometimes six implants whereas a lesser number of consecutive missing teeth may require just two.

Alternative to dentures

All on 4 implants are great as an alternative to dentures. They offer a level of stability and strength that dentures simply can’t match. Even the most modern dentures have the problem that they ‘sit’ on the gums and can therefore move a little. Implants are placed into the jawbone and in effect, replace the tooth root. This fuses with the bone and provides a solid ‘anchor’ onto which a crown is placed. With all on 4 implants, this is similar but with a few differences as we will now see.

The procedure

As with individual implant placement, you will need to have your mouth scanned to check for any problems and to determine the exact positioning needed. A number of implants will then be placed at strategic points. Unlike with individual implant placements where the patient typically has to wait for approximately three months while the bone and implant fuse before the final crown is attached; with this system, the fixed bridge of replacement teeth can often be attached the same day. In effect then, you will be able to leave our Wickford dental practice with a brand new set of functional teeth.

Another advantage of this procedure is that due to the nature of some of the implants used, this procedure may be suitable even for those who have lost some bone, without the need for a bone graft or sinus lift. Our dentist will be able to advise following discussion and examinations.

Your new teeth

So you have left the practice and feel confident with your new and secure teeth. Some people might be tempted to head off and eat the foods that they have been missing out on while wearing dentures. We don’t recommend that you do this immediately. While, in theory anyway, you could do this, there will be some residual soreness as the local anaesthetic wears off and attempting to eat foods that are too hard could be painful. While there may be no need to only consume liquids as is sometimes the case immediately following an individual placement, we do recommend that you are kind to yourself and eat softer foods until the implants have become more established. Our dentist will discuss this with you during your consultation.

Aftercare

As with individual implants, it is important to take good care of your implants, or more specifically, your gums. Gum disease is one of the biggest threats to dental implants. If it is allowed to advance to the periodontitis stage, the bone can be affected and become damaged. This then means that the bone can lose its ‘grip’ on the implant and they can become loose and even cause the implants to fail.

The good news is that it isn’t hard to look after your gums, and good brushing, flossing and seeing our hygienist for a thorough clean every six months should help you avoid this problem.

If you feel that you have put up with dentures for long enough and would like to find out more about teeth-in-a-day implants and arrange an initial consultation to discuss this, please call the Cygnet Dental Practice today on 01268 733078.