Oral Rehabilitation Using the All on 4 Procedure

How even major tooth loss can be resolved at our Derby Implant Centre.

Anyone who has suffered from major tooth loss, whether through an accident or more long term issues, will know how devastating this can be. Not only does it mean that eating is usually a chore rather than a pleasure, but also, facial features are greatly changed and can cause a significant loss of confidence too.

Thankfully, with the ‘All on 4’ procedure which we offer at the Darren Bywater Dental Implant Centre, this loss no longer needs to be permanent and new ‘teeth’ can be placed, giving the patient a completely new lease of life.

The Procedure

Recognising that using standard dental implants to replace a full arch of teeth would not only be very expensive, but would also involve a long treatment period, Portuguese dentist Dr Paulo Malo started to research other possibilities and, in 1998, the All on 4 dental implant system was used for the first time.

By using just 4 dental implants in the procedure, he enabled dentists from across the world (including ourselves in Derby) to provide their patients with an excellent method of replacing a full arch of teeth.

Why not dentures?

One of the most common questions we are asked by patients needing a full arch replacement is why we recommend ‘all on 4’ over dentures. We certainly acknowledge that dentures have a role in replacing missing teeth, but we feel that this, by and large, is now quite an old technology. Although there are many denture wearers worldwide, you would find it difficult to find many who did not have, at least, a few issues with them.

There are three key negatives associated with dentures:

1) They are often uncomfortable as they can irritate the gums as they move around in the mouth. This movement is caused by the change in shape of the face of dentures wearers. More about that in point 3.

2) They mean that eating is restricted largely to softer foods. In older people, this may mean that insufficient nutrition is taken to promote good health.

3) With dentures, there are no roots for the jawbone to hold in place and this causes the density of the bone to deteriorate which, in turn, alters the shape of a persons face (it is this that usually causes dentures to move).

The jawbone issue and all on 4 teeth replacement

For those who have lost teeth recently, say in an accident, the bone density in the jaw will be intact. For those who have had no teeth for a while though, the bone will have thinned to the point where dental implants could not be placed without the prior need for bone augmentation (bone graft).

With an All on 4 dental implant procedure though, this is now much less of an issue. Because of the special implants that are used with an All on 4, the bone is able to support them with no loss of strength and security. Due to the special angle which the rear implants are placed into the jaw, it is also possible to attach the fixed bridge immediately without the need for the approximately three months healing time that is needed with standard dental implants.

This is excellent news for all of our patients from Derby as, in some cases, they are able to leave our dental practice with a functioning new set of teeth on the same day. Naturally, we always advise our patients to eat carefully for a short while until the areas where the implants have been placed have healed a little.

At your All on 4 consultation, we will discuss the procedure in detail so that you will know what to expect and Dr. Bywater will be able to answer any questions or concerns that you may have about the procedure.

To arrange a consultation at our Dental Implant Centre in Derby, please call our implant coordinator on 01332 550933.

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