All-on-4 Vs. Traditional Implants: What's the Difference?
If you miss one or more teeth, dental implants offer a permanent solution to replace them to restore your mouth functionality and aesthetics, with a replacement option appearing and feeling natural. However, if you miss a complete arch of upper or lower teeth, you can have dentures near you anchored in your mouth using conventional dental implants or a unique system of replacing teeth with all-on-4 dental implants.
This article explains the differences between the all-on-4 technique vs. conventional dental implants for your reference. If you confront a situation with a complete arch of missing teeth, kindly read this article to learn how the all-on-4 technique might be suitable for you.
Information about the All-on-4 Dental Implant System
The all-on-4 implants technique refers to a system using merely four dental implants to anchor an upper or lower arch of dentures in your mouth. If you need both arches replaced, all-on-4 dental implants in Greeley, CO, use eight implants to support the dentures in your mouth.
In contrast, if you decide to use traditional dental implants, you will require six or more implant placements in each arch, confirming that you will need 12 or more traditional implants to support the upper and lower arch dentures. The individual dental implant procedure is expensive and impractical, especially if you want to replace all your teeth in the mouth.
How Fewer All-on-4 Implants Support a Complete Arch of Teeth
The all-on-4 uses fewer dental implants to secure an entire set of dentures in the mouth because of their strategic placements. Unlike traditional implants embedded straight into your jawbone, the all-on-4 implants are placed at angles in the posterior region of your jaw. The dentist in Greeley, CO, places the implants at strategic angles to help maximize the titanium post’s contact with your jawbone. When maximizing contact of the all-on-4 implants with your jawbone, the dentist ensures you avoid the need for bone grafting, which is often a requirement with traditional implants.
Traditional Implants Explained
Traditional implants also help replace multiple teeth, similar to all-on-4. However, unlike the all-on-4 technique, traditional implants help replace individual teeth. In addition, conventional dental implants can be paired with various restorations, including dental crowns, bridges, dentures, or the replacement of single, multiple, or an entire arch of teeth.
Traditional Dental Implants Need More Time Than the All-on-4 Technique
The all-on-4 technique is faster than getting traditional implants. The difference is that traditional implants involve bone grafting, sinus augmentation, and other procedures before implant placement. In addition, after getting bone grafting or sinus lifts, healing of the jaw is essential before proceeding with the dental procedure to receive traditional dental implants.
Sometimes, patients may not require the abovementioned procedures and may receive traditional dental implants from the dental office soon after their initial evaluation. However, the implants require 3 to 6 months to osseointegrate with the jaw before the patient can receive an artificial dental crown mounted atop them to replace the missing teeth.
The information mentioned above about traditional dental implants doesn’t mean the all-on-4 implants don’t need osseointegration with the jawbone. However, as additional procedures are unnecessary, treatment time is generally shorter for this technique in contrast to traditional implants.
Choosing the Appropriate Treatment
Finding a replacement solution compared to dental implants is practically impossible if you seek replacements for a few or all of your teeth. However, regardless of whether you need traditional dental implants or the all-on-4 technique, the implants deliver exceptional results helping you restore dental function and aesthetics, especially if you have lost all your teeth.
When you have different options, it helps to set up a consultation with the dental office near you to determine which solution best suits your needs. The dentists will evaluate your mouth and recommend a suitable option to replace one or all of your missing teeth with the traditional or the all-on-4 technique if you are affected by severe tooth loss and need a replacement for them to regain your mouth functionality.
If you need to replace an entire arch of teeth, you will find the all-on-4 implant option conservative because of the faster treatment time and the lower costs involved in getting a complete arch of teeth anchored by four dental implants instead of six or eight.
If you confront a situation with all missing teeth, Affordable Dental Clinics offer you affordable remedy to replace them all using dentures supported by all-on-4 dental implants. Consult them today to start planning your treatment and have replacement teeth in your mouth faster than getting traditional dental implants.