Missing a tooth has a huge effect not only on one’s appearance but also on a person’s confidence. Without a perfect smile, you won’t feel confident enough in doing things you normally do with others such as talking, laughing, and eating. It would be more challenging to eat and talk depending on which part you have missing teeth.
Fortunately, there are already many options when it comes to replacing missing teeth unlike before. Aside from traditional dentures, there are already other options now such as dental bridges and implants. Dental implants can be done to replace single missing teeth or even an entire row of them.
If you need to fill in multiple missing teeth, all-on-4 dental implants are one of the most recommended by dentists. Before getting one, here are the important things you need to know about all-on-4 dental implants.
All-on-4 Procedure
If you’re curious about what is all on 4 dental implant, the first thing you need to know about is the procedure itself. It is a tooth replacement procedure that is done with surgery. Because of this, the patient needs to be sedated during the procedure to comfort purposes.
First, the dentist will take x-ray scans of your jaw area to determine where the posts should be implanted. Once the dentist has planned out the placement of the posts, he will then prepare the area by removing the remaining damaged teeth and infected tissue as well.
Incisions will be made on the gum tissue to show the jawbone where the dentist will drill small holes where the metal posts will be implanted. Since it is a surgical process, the patient needs to wait for some time to let the gum tissue heal before the denture plate will be attached.
Generally, all-on-4 dental implants look and work like real teeth. Since they are attached to the gum tissue and jaw bone, it provides the necessary tissue stimulation needed to prevent gum and bone atrophy.
Who Are Good Candidates for All-on-4 Dental Implants?
While all-on-4 dental implants sound like a great solution to replace missing teeth, not everyone is a good candidate for it. People who have multiple missing teeth in a dental arch are one of the best candidates for this procedure.
Other conditions also make a person fit for this procedure such as those who have experienced damage to jaw muscles, dental trauma, or jawbone loss. While people with gum disease aren’t eligible to get dental implants, they can get an all-on-4 implant after treating the damaged gum tissue first.
On the other hand, some people aren’t recommended to have all-on-4 dental implants because of their health conditions. Immunocompromised patients or people who are suffering from an autoimmune disease are not fit to have dental implants. Their poor immune function prevents the proper healing of the implants and prevents osseointegration which is an essential part of building the integrity of the implant.
All-on-4 dental implants are a great solution if you have multiple missing teeth. Consult your dentist first to know if this procedure will work best for your condition.
