Hi, I'm Dr. Dao at Healthy Smiles Dental. I'd like to answer some questions about dental implants, specifically about all-on-four dental implants. I've heard a lot about this online from many patients, so I'd like to answer some of these questions. I hope this will help you understand what all-on-four dental implants are, in what cases they are used, how they work, how the procedure works, who will need them, and who will benefit from them.
What are all-on-four dental implants and how they work?
Okay, well, again, I like to show things with pictures, and I have a picture here that helps. So you can see here on the model that we have, it matches here, and you have four implants: one, two, three, four. Then you have like teeth here, like prosthesis here, and you put it in, and it stays there. So with this picture in the mouth, you can see you have four implant placements here, and this is like a denture prosthesis here, and it's screwed in, and it stays fixed. It's not removable; it's fixed like your teeth, not going to move, and it works really, really well.
How is the all-on-four procedure different from traditional dental implants?
How it works compared to traditional implants: with all-on-four, you need four implants, and then you have the prosthesis that screws in, and it stays. Traditional implants, for example, you have one implant for one tooth, so if we have the whole mouth, we might need eight to ten implants, but in this case, you need only four implants.
Who is a good candidate for all-on-four dental implants?
The candidate for all-on-four implants is, number one, as long as you are healthy. It doesn't matter about the age; you can be 90, and it's not a problem with age. It's about dental health and your overall health. As long as you don't have diabetes, or if you do have diabetes, you have it under control. Number two, you don't have cancer or any part of your body like a kidney transplant or something like that. But other than that, you are a candidate. Another candidate is someone who has missing teeth, a lot of teeth, and wants to have a set of teeth that you can eat, chew, and look good. You also want to be healthy, ensuring you take care of your gum condition, brush your teeth, and maintain oral hygiene. That's it, and you are a candidate if you want to enjoy eating and have a good set of teeth for chewing and function.
Are all-on-four dental implants a good option for seniors?
Absolutely, absolutely. This is definitely for seniors because seniors often lose a lot of teeth throughout their lives due to trauma, gum disease, tooth decay, and all that. In the past, we didn't have implants, so we had teeth that didn't function well or dentures that weren't stable. Dental implants are really good for seniors because they can enjoy eating well, chewing well, and that is really beneficial for their health.
Are all-on-four implants suitable for patients with bone loss in the jaw?
Absolutely, yes. If you have bone loss, we can still do it as long as you don't have bone diseases like cancer, no diabetes, and no kidney transplants. Then you are fine.
What does the all-on-four dental implants process involve?
What is involved is getting to know your health and smile. We need to know how your teeth looked before, so we need to see your face and ensure you are taking care of any gum disease. It's very important, and then we need to take a mold of your teeth so we can study them. We also need a three-dimensional X-ray to know how it looks like so we can place the implants. Then we need to set up the implants placement, choose the type of implants, and coordinate lab work. With all that involved, we prepare everything, and on the day of the implant, we can have everything in place. We also provide something temporary for you to wear on that day when we do the all-on-four. After a few months, when the tissue heals and everything is good, you'll go to another set for the final dental implants on the top or bottom.
How long does the all-on-four procedure take from start to finish?
Usually, it takes around 10 to 12 months. It depends on your bone condition and gum condition, but it's somewhere from 9 to 12 months.
How many visits are required for the all-on-four dental implant procedure?
Because it's spread out over 12 months, we like you to come for visits to check things, so it will take about five to seven appointments.
Are all-on-four implants a permanent solution for missing teeth?
Yes, this is a permanent solution. It is expected to last around 10 to 20 years, depending on your hygiene and health. But it lasts somewhere from 10 to 20 years.
What is the difference between full arch implant and the all-on-four procedure?
Okay, full all-on-four, as you can see here, involves four implants. A full arch implant involves more implants, maybe six or eight implants. We call that a full arch implant.
What are the advantages of all-on-four implants over other tooth replacement options?
The advantage of all-on-four is when you have a condition where you cannot save the rest of your teeth, and you have the all-on-four implants. The final prosthesis is more cost-effective compared to other options that might require more implants. All-on-four costs a little less.
What do before and after results for all-on-four dental implants look like?
Okay, so you can see here, before you have a denture, and after, in the mouth, it looks very natural, doesn't it?
How do all-on-four implants improve oral health and quality of life?
It's a big change in life. It improves a lot in eating. Imagine having something like a denture, and you eat, and it's moving around or doesn't look good. Denture implants help you function well because they have the anchor, so they won't move. Of course, the whole thing looks good, as you see here. It impacts the quality of life: you eat well, chew well, and you're happy, which is very important for good nutrition. When you're happy, you smile more, and your life changes a lot.
What are the potential problems and complications with all-on-four dental implants?
When we talk about complications with dental implants, it's important to note that anything in life can have complications. So what are the complications of dental implants? Everything we talked about earlier involves cleaning. If you don't clean well, food can get stuck, leading to inflammation, so make sure you stay on top of cleaning and visit the dental office every six months. Another issue is sometimes the implant can become loose, and you need to tighten it. That's common, so come every six months for checks.
What is the cost of all-on-four dental implants?
All-on-four implants cost around $25,000 to $35,000 per arch, which includes four implants plus the set of teeth.
What is the recovery process like after getting all-on-four dental implants?
The recovery time is somewhere around two days to two weeks, typically two weeks. Sometimes it may last three weeks, but generally, it's around two to three weeks for healing.
How long do all-on-four dental implants last?
Again, we talked about how long they last, depending on the health of each individual. Typically, they last around 10 to 15 years, maybe 20 years, so if you take care of them well, they last that long. If not, it could be shorter, but generally, it's 10 to 20 years or more.
What type of care and maintenance do all-on-four implants require?
They require daily cleaning. We recommend everyone with dental implants use a water flosser or Waterpik. It's really good; it removes 90% of debris. You can use it with the machine for 90% and clean the remaining 10% manually. Visit the dental office every four to six months so we can check for any issues and clean as needed.
Okay, and I hope this is helpful. If you have additional questions or are ready for this procedure, please don't hesitate to call us at (724) 308-9360. We would love to help. Thank you so much.