All-on-four implants have become a popular dental procedure that facilitates many aesthetic and functional dental concerns. This dental solution has proven a very high success rate in regaining a confident and healthy smile with full mouth functionality. 

Despite its popularity, many people are still confused or rather unclear about what it is and why one should consider getting it done. To solve this puzzlement, here is a brief guide on what All-on-four implants are and why you may need them. 

What Are  All-On-Four Implants? 

All-on-four is a dental procedure where the upper or lower set of teeth are replaced with the supporting mechanism of just four implants. In other words, these all-in-four implants act as the foundation for the placement of a new set of fixed prosthesis.

The full-arch rehabilitation in this procedure uses four implants which are two straight anterior implants and two implants slanted up to 45º in the posterior. So instead of replacing each tooth separately with an implant, you’ll receive a full set at once that’s held in place by only four strategically-placed implants. This procedure offers a permanent and natural-looking alternative to dentures. 

The “All” in the name of the treatment refers to all of the teeth in an arch, i.e. a full upper or lower set of teeth. Whereas the “4 or four” refers to the number of dental implants that are needed to hold the arch in place. 

How Is It Different From Conventional Implants? 

The dental implant procedure is generally where a small titanium screw is positioned into the jawbone to support a single or a bridge of teeth. 

For a conventional dental implant procedure, a full arch rehabilitation will require at least 6-8 implants to hold a full-fixed bridge. Conversely, All-on-four requires only 4 implants. 

Besides this, conventional full-arch teeth replacements have a limitation when screwing 6-8 implants into areas with reduced bone density, which calls for grafting. Grafting is an invasive procedure where the dentist will take your own bone from other areas of the body where it isn’t needed and graft it to your jaw bone to build enough volume to support an implant. In contrast, as the All-on-four uses fewer implants it means that the bone-deficient areas can just be avoided, and no grafting is required. 

This less invasive nature makes All-on-four inherit a short healing period and the use of fewer implants also make it more flexible to design and fit the optimum replacement teeth. 

Why Should You Consider It? 

All-on-four dental implants are aimed as a dental restoration solution for people who are missing all of the teeth along the dental ridge or most of their teeth. Besides this fundamental purpose, here are other reasons why you should consider this type of implants: 

• Can be done within just 24 hours in a professional dental clinic
• Immediate results with minimal follow up procedures
• Simple, less, invasive, and most importantly cost-efficient compared to other conventional dental implants 
• A very short healing period
• Those experiencing osteoporosis or a lack of jaw bone to get conventional implants can opt for all-on-four as it doesn’t require grafting or usually rely on bone density
• Preserves the jawbone and prevents further damage to the facial structure associated with missing teeth
• Reduces the wrinkles associated with missing tooth or bone structure, making you look younger with a radiant smile
• No risk of shifting or slipping because it is firmly anchored to the angulated area of the thick jawbone
• Eliminates or reduces bone resorption (Bone Atrophy), a condition that can lead to a decrease in your bone mass and put you at higher risk for fractures and breakage
• Regains the functional ability to normally and comfortably chew and speak, unlike traditional implants