The average person loses anywhere between 4 to 12 teeth during their lifetime. This may be the result of dental decay, traumatic injury or a long list of complications that could result in the need for a tooth to be removed. The problem is that traditional means of restoring lost teeth tend to be less than comfortable.
Bridges are ideally used in mouths without significant tooth loss, and removable dentures may fail to behave like natural teeth. The answer to this problem is a relatively new method of tooth replacement: All-on-4®, which utilizes tooth implant technology to replace significant tooth loss.
What is All-on-4®?
Before exploring why you may opt for All-on-4®, it is important to have an understanding of what this relatively new restorative technique for dental prostheses does. All-on-4® utilizes four or more dental implants to anchor fixtures into the mouth. This allows for permanent smile restoration in cases where dental bridges may be inappropriate, and other methods of restoration are not as viable.
The major advantage of All-on-4® is the fact that it can replace areas where a large amount of tooth loss is present. This can include entire quadrants on the upper and lower jaws, areas where several teeth may be missing in sporadic ways and situations where every tooth is missing from a patient’s mouth.
The best part about All-on-4® is the fact that it allows for you to chew just like you would with your natural teeth. The process of mastication does not require the bilateral grinding that removable dentures use due to the way they are attached to the jaws.
Another advantage of the All-on-4® treatment is the fact that jaw bone erosion tends to slow down significantly when this procedure is performed correctly. This can help prevent the need for bone grafts and other procedures designed to make the mouth more viable for permanent implants.
What Does the Procedure Involve?
All-on-4® implants first require an evaluation from our dental care provider. The condition of your jaw bone, the number and location of teeth to be replaced and the long-term viability of All-on-4® treatment must be evaluated to ensure the success of your treatment.
Once this has been completed, the implants are then added to your jaw. The final step is to add the permanent dentures to your mouth. You may need to have these adjusted a few times to ensure your comfort and the success of the procedure.
Can All-on-4® Replace Your Lost Teeth?
The short answer is that All-on-4® is a better replacement for replacing lost teeth than other methods of prostheses. They provide for many of the functions that natural teeth do within the mouth while offering the patient the highest degree of comfort possible.
To determine if All-on-4® is the proper procedure to remedy your missing teeth, come in for an evaluation at the dental practice of Dr. Samuel F. Jirik, serving the Little Rock area and located in Cabot. After assessing your teeth, we can help you decide if this procedure is right for you. Contact our office today to schedule your appointment.
