If you’re currently missing a large number of teeth, you likely understand that this can create significant problems with the appearance of your smile. It can also make it difficult to properly talk and eat food like you did when you still had all of your teeth. If you want to get rid of these problems for good and restore your smile to its natural appearance, there are a variety of highly effective solutions that will replace your missing teeth.

The two most effective treatments for missing teeth are all-on-4 dental implants and dentures. When you’re looking at your various options for replacing your missing teeth, you’ll be presented with a difficult choice to make between all-on-4 dental implants and dentures. Before you make this decision, the following will provide you with a detailed look at all-on-4 dental implants vs dentures, which extends to such factors as costs, benefits, and time requirements.

All-On-4 Dental Implants Vs. Dentures

While the all-on-4 dental implant treatment offers results that are similar to those of dentures, these two treatments work in very different ways. If you want to make an informed decision on whether to purchase implants or dentures, it’s important to understand everything about these treatment options.

All-On-4 Dental Implants

If you’re missing an entire row of teeth, all-on-4 dental implants will provide you with the ability to replace a row of teeth with only four implants. If you’re unsure of what standard dental implants are, they are artificial tooth roots that are typically made from titanium. These dental implants are connected directly and securely to the jawbone. Once in position, the implants can act as support for an artificial tooth, which can come in the form of a bridge, crown, or denture.

In most cases, a dental implant is only able to provide support for a single artificial tooth. However, this isn’t true with all-on-4 dental implants. Instead, four implants can be positioned strategically around the upper or lower portion of the mouth to act as anchors for an entire row of teeth.

Since the implants are comprised of the durable titanium material, the implants will eventually fuse to the jawbone, which means that you will rarely need to replace one of these implants. Once these implants are placed in your mouth, they will remain permanently affixed to the jawbone unless they break at some point in the future.

The treatment process begins with a consultation, which usually includes an evaluation of your teeth, a CT scan, and an in-depth discussion about the various alternatives to this treatment. The CT scan is designed to identify how healthy your jawbone is, which is essential towards determining that this treatment is right for you.

If your jawbone isn’t healthy enough to support the implants, other treatments may be necessary. If your jawbone is in good condition, molds will be taken of the upper and lower jaws. These molds are then used to craft a dental bridge that will be applied in combination with the implants.

Once the date of the surgery arrives, you’ll be provided with a mild sedative that should keep you from feeling any pain while the treatment is ongoing. The first surgery involves the removal of all of your remaining teeth to make room for the implants. If any of the tissue surrounding your remaining teeth has become infected, this will be removed as well during the surgery. Once this portion of the treatment has been completed, the dental implants will then be placed in the correct position.

Two of these dental implants will be positioned around the front of your lower ja