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What Does The All-On-4 Dental Implant Procedure Involve?

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Wearing a removable denture every day comes with many challenges. Removable dentures make chewing and speaking difficult. And denture adhesive often fails to hold dentures in place, leading to embarrassing mishaps. If you currently have a denture, or you have many missing or damaged teeth, an all-on-4 dental prosthesis is a more comfortable and convenient option than removable dentures. 

An all-on-4 prosthesis is similar to a removable denture. However, an all-on-4 prosthesis attaches to four dental implants in a single arch, which means it will never fall out or move around. 

If you are considering all-on-4 dental implants, here is what you can expect from initial consultation to placement and healing.

Initial consultation

You will first meet with your dentist for x-rays, 3D scans, and a thorough examination of your mouth. These steps help your dentist assess your oral health and prepare a suitable treatment plan. Your dentist will also check your medical history to ascertain if you have any conditions that might affect the success of your surgery.

Finally, you will also have a chance to tell your dentist what your specific goals are. Your dentist will then prepare a detailed treatment plan, which will include costs and treatment options.

Placement of the implants

After your dentist has sedated you, they will make an incision in your gum. This will allow the dentist to access your jawbone ridge. Sometimes, dentists need to reduce the jawbone ridge by removing some bone. This bone reduction process ensures that after the implants and prosthesis are in place; your facial structure is the same as before. Ridge reduction also ensures a comfortable fit.

Once the dental implants are in place, the next step is to attach the abutments to the implant posts. The final step involves the placement of the denture. The first denture is only a temporary denture that ensures that you don't have to go without teeth while your implants heal. The implant placement process usually takes around half a day.

The healing phase

The normal healing process for all-on-4 dental implants takes about 6-8 months. During this time, you should stick to eating a soft diet so you don't disturb your healing dental implants. You'll see your dentist several times during the healing phase to ensure that your implants are healing as they should.

Once the healing phase is complete, and your implants have fused with your jawbone, your dentist will then place the permanent denture onto your four dental implants.

If you are tired of wearing a removable denture or living with missing or broken teeth, consider investing in an all-on-4 dental prosthesis. With an all-on-4 prosthesis, you'll never have to worry about your denture moving or falling out again.


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