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20 May 2015

All on 4® Dental Implants Explained

Nobel Biocare Dental Implants Logo

What does the  All on 4® implant procedure entail?

 

1. Initial consultation and diagnostics.

In order for us to properly evaluate your individual requirements and suitability for All-on-4® implants, you’ll need a consultation where we will discuss various aspects of the treatment and also ask about your medical history. It may be that you will need a series of diagnostic tests which may include x-rays, a CT scan, measurement of your bone density and impressions taken of your existing teeth. This will provide us with information in order to plan your treatment and determine if you will need to have any existing teeth extracted.

In some case we need to create a bespoke surgical template which ensures guided and exact implant placement. To do this we use specialised software and a dedicated treatment planning system, which will allow for detailed diagnostics including the identification of available bone structure. It will also help to create virtual implant placement according to your anatomical situation and exact prosthetic needs.

If, following your diagnostic appointment, there is no need for bone grafting or for other treatment prior to the implant surgery itself, your surgical appointment will be scheduled. At this appointment any teeth needing extracted will be removed, your implants will be placed and your prosthesis fitted during the same appointment.

2. Extractions and placement of four dental implants.

Stourbridge Dental & Implant Clinic Implants All on 4 diagram

Four implants will be placed in the jaw in such a way that the bone will surround, anchor and secure them into place. Two implants are placed upright in the front part of the jaw and two implants are placed in the back part of the jaw at an angle of approximately 45°, to achieve maximum contact and anchorage to your existing bone structure.

 

3. Attachment of abutment and teeth.

Once the four implants have been placed in the jaw, the abutments (a component which connects the implant to the teeth/bridge/denture) will be attached to the implants. The new replacement teeth are then attached to the abutments and adjusted to ensure an optimal bite so that maximum comfort is achieved.  This technique is much less invasive and much less time consuming than the traditional full arch implant. This is because the All-on-4 ® technique only uses four dental implants in the procedure as opposed to six or eight implants in a traditional full arch implant technique.

4. Follow-up and second set of permanent teeth.

Approximately 3 months or so after the initial fitting, there will be a follow-up appointment. Three months after the initial appointment the gums should be fully healed and implants completely fused to the natural bone.  At this stage, depending on your treatment plan, your dentist will take new impressions in order to prepare a final, stronger, permanent set of teeth which can then be adjusted to a perfect fit.

Our summary of the advantages of the All-on-4 ® technique.

It requires only 4 implants as opposed to 6-8 to secure your arch.

It involves lower fees and is more cost-effective as there are less implants and less visits required.

It can avoid the need for bone grafts.

Implants and teeth are all placed and fitted in one appointment as opposed to several appointments needed for the traditional method.

Guided computer aided techniques ensure accurate implant placement

Click the link for more information on our implants treatments.

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