If you’re missing a tooth or two, dental implants have traditionally been the answer. But if you’re missing several or many teeth — and/or if a number of your teeth are on their “last legs,” so to speak — you might be a prime candidate for an All-on-4 implant.
So what is an All-on-4? Well, here’s the idea: rather than individual implants for each missing tooth, the All-on-4 procedure replaces all of your teeth on the top or bottom — or both top and bottom, if needed — of your mouth. All-on-4 does this with just four implants (or “anchors”), rather than one for each tooth. In other words, if you had to replace all 14 (or 16) of your top teeth, you wouldn’t need 14 (or 16) individual implants. All-on-4 would replace them all with just four implants, giving you a whole new prosthetic arch, a brand new set of teeth, and a perfectly natural look.
The procedure, invented in 1998 by a Portuguese dentist, has taken off in recent years as Baby Boomers age and develop greater needs in dental care. Hundreds of thousands have received the treatment and, according to one study, 98 percent of them would recommend it to others.
Some advantages of an All-on-4 include:
- Can replace all of your teeth in one day
- Treatment involves just one surgery
- Secure placement won’t shift or loosen
- No bone graft usually necessary
- Lower cost than multiple individual implants
- Rapid improvement in quality of life!
How does it work? Four anchors are implanted into the upper or lower jawbone. Think of it sort of like putting a plastic anchor into drywall, and then attaching something with screws — a towel rack, for example — to that anchor. It holds firm. But with All-on-4, the anchor doesn’t go into the “drywall,” but the “stud” — the actual bone at the top or bottom of your mouth. So it essentially becomes part of the structure of your mouth, and holds really firm.
It’s such a radical procedure that many patients even call it “life-changing” because of dramatic improvements in function, aesthetics, speech, and even self-esteem. Reviews on this treatment have generally been excellent. “A real life-saver,” one patient said after her own All-on-4 treatment. “My [new] teeth feel like my own — so secure, that I know I never have to worry about them ever again. Getting implants is the best decision I have ever made!” Another patient said, “I was very self-conscious about my situation and thought there was no solution to my problem. I cannot believe the difference All-on-4 has made in my life.”
Pure Dental Health serves patients with the All-on-Four procedure here at the Buckhead office. Since the All-on-Four is a more expensive treatment, so we offer a variety of financing and payment options to help meet your budgetary situation. Schedule a visit today for a free consultation to discover if this is the right treatment for you.
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