What is the All-on-4 method?
The All-on-4 method involves placing four implants in strategic positions of the jaw and supporting a fixed denture on them. By strategic positions, we mean that the dental implants are placed in specific locations of the lower jaw to achieve proper distribution of the forces exerted during chewing.
In which cases is the All-on-4 method applied?
The method is applied to patients who have lost the teeth of the lower jaw. It is also used in patients who have some teeth, but these do not provide reliable support for a bridge.
What do we achieve with the All-on-4 method?
When the teeth of the jaw are lost, the bone in the area is resorbed. As a result, there is often not enough bone height for placing dental implants in the area of the back teeth, due to the presence of a very important nerve called the inferior alveolar nerve.
To avoid extensive bone regeneration surgeries for the lost bone, we use the All-on-4 method.
That is, we place the two back implants immediately in front of the exit of the inferior alveolar nerve from the jaw, on both the right and left sides. These two back implants are usually placed at an angle towards the back to achieve even better distribution of the forces on the bridge that will be placed. The other two implants are placed in the area of the canines or lateral incisors.
Why choose the All-on-4 method?
This method has the advantage of quick and painless restoration of the lower jaw teeth. It is applied to patients who do not wish to undergo extensive bone regeneration surgeries and to those whose general health does not allow for major surgeries.
How long does the treatment take?
The duration of the procedure is usually one hour and is performed under local anesthesia. In most cases, we can immediately place a temporary bridge, i.e., perform immediate loading.
Depending on the case, this temporary bridge may have been pre-fabricated. Thus, the total treatment time is approximately three hours.
This temporary bridge remains in the mouth for two to three months to allow for the integration of the implants and smooth healing of the tissues. After this period, the permanent restoration is constructed.
What are the steps for the All-on-4 treatment?
The patient comes to the clinic, and a medical and dental history is taken.
A CT scan is then taken to check the feasibility of the All-on-4 procedure, and the process is explained to the patient.
Next, we scan the mouth with a special scanner to construct the surgical guide for the correct placement of the implants and the temporary bridge.
The only thing left is to schedule the procedure.
