Four Signs That All-On-Four Is the Right Prosthetic for You

We can provide you with All-On-Four, a convenient way to replace your missing teeth. In our Bellevue cosmetic dentist office, we treat patients for a variety of health concerns, and our first goal is to help you maintain healthy teeth for life. If you visit our office for bi-annual teeth cleanings and have infections dealt with immediately or restorations completed right away, we can often prevent your teeth from falling out in the first place.

However, if you do lose your teeth, it is important to make a decision regarding how you will replace them. To remain without teeth can lead to significant resorption, where the calcium inside of your jaw is leached out and used for other areas of the body. The loss of bone density can give you a sunken and aged appearance – something most people want to avoid. Replacing your missing teeth will decrease the rate of resorption.

The more common prosthetic options include dentures, dental bridges, dental implants and All-On-Four. Dentures are the oldest, most dependable and still reliable solution. However, there are distinct drawbacks, because they can come loose when one eats or speaks. The dentures also need to soak in cleaning fluids every night, creating additional steps in one's oral health routine. Dental bridges attach to the jaw and are far more stable. In order to get a bridge, the patient must have surrounding teeth strong enough to support it.

If the patient experiences major tooth loss, a dental bridge is unlikely to be an effective treatment. Dental implants are the most durable and permanent tooth replacement procedure since they replace the root and the tooth. While we highly recommend this procedure, patients with complete tooth loss will need more time to complete the treatment process. With dental implants, everything must be exact in the placement.

The All on Four Procedure

The All-On-Four procedure is different because it provides the patient with a faster tooth replacement solution than replacing each tooth with a dental implant. Simultaneously, it will securely remain in place, giving more stability than a denture. The process works using implant technology, the main difference being that instead of implanting a metal post where each missing tooth was, we only need to implant four posts for your prosthetic to secure to.

This procedure works well if the patient has complete upper or lower tooth loss. To start the process, we will need to conduct a physical examination and take X-rays. If it appears that the patient is a good candidate for the procedure, we will make an impression of the mouth, take measurements and review a shade card with the patient to determine the shade of the implant. We will then give the information to the dental lab, so they can create the new set of teeth. Next, we will insert the four metal posts into the gums. Once secure, we will attach the new teeth and the patient can walk out with a beautiful smile that will remain in place throughout each day.