Why All-on-4® is Better Than Dentures
Glendale, AZ
All-on-4® in Glendale provided by Dr. Michael Allard
at Arrowhead Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
 When you lose teeth, even the most basic functions like eating and speaking become incredibly challenging. Tooth loss also impacts the quality of your smile, your confidence, and the health of your jawbone. While dental implants have become the treatment of choice when it comes to replacing teeth, they rely on your jawbone for success. If you have lost too much bone mass, your implants may not be stable. This does not, however, mean that you are limited to dentures. At Arrowhead Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, we can make implants possible with All-on-4 Treatment.
Traditional Full Arch Replacement
Traditionally, a full arch of missing teeth has been addressed with dentures. This treatment, which has been in use for hundreds of years, involves the use of a removable prosthesis. The replacement teeth are set into a hard base that sit directly on your gums, relying on this soft tissue for support. The dentures offered today consist of acrylic resin teeth that are set into an acrylic gum-colored base.
While modern dentures are made to look much more realistic, they still have several disadvantages. They require additional care every night, they can slip out of place or fall out, and they can cause painful sores on your gum tissue. Dentures also cannot stop the bone loss in your jaw. This allows the bone to continue to weaken and change shape. As a result, dentures need to be changed every few years to ensure optimal fit and functionality.
What is All-on-4?
Dental implants are a popular alternative to traditional dentures. This treatment uses small titanium posts, which are surgically placed into your jawbone, to provide support for your replacement teeth. Implants are a unique treatment that can replace a single tooth with an entire arch of teeth. If you have lost too much bone mass, however, you may require a bone graft first. This is an additional surgery that requires additional recovery time and additional costs.
Typically, when replacing a full arch of missing teeth 6 to 8 posts are used to support your replacement teeth. If your jawbone is too weak, it may not be able to successfully support these posts. Even if a single post fails, your entire restoration may fail. Rather than undergo a bone graft, we can replace an entire arch of missing teeth with All-on-4. With All-on-4, we can support an entire arch of replacement teeth on only 4 posts. However, how is it possible to provide better support on fewer posts? The success of All-on-4 is in how the posts are placed. Two are placed vertically near the front of the jaw. This region of your jaw generally has more bone mass. The other two posts are placed near the back of the mouth at a 45-degree angle. This angle maximizes contact between the posts and your jawbone to ensure optimal fusion of the bone to the posts.
What Makes All-on-4 Better than Dentures?
All-on-4 provides several significant benefits over traditional dentures. These benefits include
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More comfortable. Where dentures rest on and are supported by, your gums, the dental restorations of All-on-4 are supported by the posts in your jaw.
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A more realistic appearance. While dentures have come a long way in providing a more realistic appearance, the dental restorations of All-on-4 are made from ceramic. The ceramic teeth can be made to look exactly like your natural teeth and reflect light just like real enamel.
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Stability. Your dental restorations are secured in place on the implant posts, rather than on your gums. Your teeth will not slip out of place or fall out.
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Easy oral care. You can brush and floss your All-on-4 dental implants just like your real teeth.
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Preservation of your jawbone. The implant posts stimulate your jawbone just like the roots of your real teeth. This helps to stop and prevent bone loss in your jaw. |
With All-on-4, we restore the functions of your missing teeth while also helping to protect the health of your jawbone and restore your quality of life. Call Arrowhead Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery today at (623) 738-2564 to schedule your consultation and find out if All-on-4 is the right treatment choice for you. |
