The last things you should ever feel when you smile are shame or embarrassment. Being able to effortlessly smile at what brings us joy is part of what makes us human. That’s why the Engel Institute works so hard to help people take their smiles back; we don’t want our patients to think twice about the way they look when they open their mouths. Thankfully, modern medical science has made it easier than ever to correct the issues we have with our teeth and smiles.
For someone with more severe damage to their teeth and gums, dentures used to be one of the only choices available to fix their dental problems. Nowadays, you have a few more options to consider. One option that we recommend for many people is all-on-4 dental implants. While not as well-known by the public as dentures, all-on-4 implants can give you your smile back in a much more permanent way. We’ll go over what you need to know about all-on-4 dental implants so that you can make the decision about whether they may be right for you.
What Are All-On-4 Dental Implants?
So, what are these implants, and what does “all-on-4” even refer to? The name is a reference to how these implants are put into your mouth. The key part of the all-on-4 implant is the four titanium posts that get implanted into the jawbone. The position of these titanium posts is carefully chosen to strategically give the implant the sturdiest foundation possible. You might sometimes hear these implants referred to as full arch implants because they completely replace an entire arch of teeth, either on the top of your mouth, the bottom, or both.
Given that we secure these implants directly into your jawbone, you never need to take them out. They look and function just like real teeth. Older, less sophisticated implants required many more posts to correctly secure the implants, which is why the all-on-4 implant method is such a revolution in the world of dentistry.
How Are All-On-4 Implants Different From Dentures?
The most important thing you need to know about All-on-4 implants is how they offer a number of improvements over traditional dentures. Where dentures can sometimes feel odd in your mouth and can take many iterations to get a perfect fit, all-on-4 implants feel much more natural because of how they use your natural jawbone as a foundation. Those who currently have dentures will most likely be interested in the permanence of all-on-4 implants because they will not have to take them out every night and will have no mishaps involving them falling out of your mouth. An added bonus to all-on-4 implants is that they are completely fixed to the implanted posts, rather than sitting right on your gums as dentures do. This removes the uncomfortable pressure on the gum line that dentures can sometimes cause.
Why Should You Consider All-On-4 Implants?
If you know you need to have teeth replaced, you have a lot of things to consider before making a decision. Any medical decision that involves surgery is one you shouldn’t take lightly, and we want you to feel comfortable with your decision to go with all-on-4 implants. To show you why they are such a good decision for your dental health, we’ll go over some of the greatest benefits to all-on-4 implants that you should keep in mind as you make your choice.
All-On-4 Implants Can Be More Cost Effective
If you have a lot of teeth that need replacements, it can actually be more cost-effective in the long run to get all-on-4 implants. Getting each tooth replaced with an individual implant can leave you with a much larger bill later on because of individual surgery costs. With all-on-4 implants, all four titanium posts are put in place during the same visit, reducing the amount of time it takes to get your teeth back to a state that you can be proud of.
All-On-4 Implants Are a More Permanent Solution
When all you want is to feel confident in your smile again and not have to worry about how your teeth look, you don’t want to waste your time with solutions that are temporary or require extra long-term maintenance. The all-on-4 implant design is meant to be a permanent solution for restoring missing teeth or replacing unhealthy teeth.
All-On-4 Implants Are More Comfortable
As we’ve already mentioned, all-on-4 implants do away with the hassle of having uncomfortable dentures in your mouth. As you heal from the surgery, the titanium implant posts fuse with your jawbone. This gives them a rock-solid foundation for the new teeth to sit on. They can’t move independently from your jaw, giving these implants a far more natural and comfortable feel that won’t fade over time.
How Long Does Recovery Take After the All-On-4 Implant Procedure?
While recovery times vary based on the patient’s age and overall health, recovering from the surgery itself will take at least a few days. It’s important to note that your gums continue to heal for much longer than this. It will take a few months before your gums fully heal and the implants fully fuse with your jawbone.
How Do You Take Care of Your All-On-4 Implants?
One of the great things about all-on-4 implants is that taking care of them doesn’t typically require any more effort than taking care of natural teeth. After your surgery, regularly rinsing your mouth with salt water can help reduce inflammation and clear out bacteria that may start to accumulate. Once your implants have healed, you can continue to care for them in the same way that you would natural teeth. Make sure that you continue to brush them at least twice a day, floss between them at least once a day, and don’t forget to continue seeing your dentist for regular checkups.
Here at the Engel Institute, we know how life-changing it can be to feel like you can smile again without a second thought. Providing that feeling to our clients has always been one of our greatest goals. If you have any questions about all-on-4 implants that you’d like us to answer, don’t hesitate to reach out.
