All-on-4® vs. Traditional Dental Implants
When a person is missing a tooth or multiple teeth, there are plenty of options out there for restoring their smile. At Southern Dental Implant Center in Memphis, TN, we can use traditional implant dentistry or All-on-4® to help support appliances that fill the spaces left by missing teeth. While dental implants can be extremely effective at treating tooth loss, All-on-4® has numerous compelling advantages that patients should keep in mind.
Dr. Jason Collier and his team would like to compare traditional dental implants to All-on-4®. This should give you an idea of what to expect from the treatment process.
About Traditional Dental Implants
Traditional dental implants are artificial tooth roots that are surgically embedded into the jawbone and gum tissue. Once the implants have healed and fused in position, they can be used to support crowns, bridges, or dentures. The level of stability is comparable to natural tooth roots.
The Dental Implants Process
During the oral surgery, the implant posts are screwed and anchored into the jawbone. A healing process known as osseointegration must take place, which involves the fusing of the implant with the bone tissue, allowing it to achieve a high level of stability. This takes several months to complete.
If a patient does not have sufficient bone density of gum tissue density in place, augmentation procedures can be performed as needed. Bone grafting and gum grafting can build up these structures to make a patient eligible for dental implants. These procedures will increase the overall treatment time by several months since additional healing is required.
About All-on-4®
With traditional dental implants, it would take at least six dental implants to support a full denture. Thanks to All-on-4®, a full denture can be supported with just four dental implants. Two of the implants are angled along the jawbone to provide exceptional stability and hold. Once in place, patients can have a full denture supported by their All-on-4® implants on the same day. There is no wait or need for osseointegration.
The All-on-4® Process
During All-on-4® treatment, oral surgery is performed to place the dental implants in the jawbone. This oral surgery takes about 2 to 3 hours to complete. When finished, a full denture can be set in place, allowing the patient to bite, chew, and smile.
When Traditional Dental Implants Are More Ideal
Traditional dental implants are more ideal when a patient is missing a tooth or a few teeth. There is no need for a full denture, and so no need for All-on-4® treatment in this case. A crown or a bridge will suffice.
When All-on-4® Is More Ideal
All-on-4® is ideal when patients are missing most or all of their teeth, and they have enough healthy bone structure in place to support the implant posts. The consultation process will be essential in determining if traditional implants might be better suited than All-on-4® based on the extent of tooth loss and the current state of the jawbone structure.
Contact Southern Dental Implant Center
For more information about dental implants, All-on-4®, and your many other methods for treating tooth loss, be sure to contact an experienced cosmetic and restorative dentist. The team at the Southern Dental Implant Center looks forward to your visit and discussing all options for treatment. You can reach us by phone at (901) 756-0078.