Critical Considerations for Choosing All-on-4 Dental Implants: A Deep Dive into Patient-Centric Planning

Imagine. You put your dentures in after waking up in the morning and go to eat breakfast. Your dentures move around as you eat your bacon, eggs, and toast. This makes it difficult to taste and enjoy your food properly. We can understand how much of a buzzkill this could be when starting your morning. There’s a solution for this uncomfortable eating experience amongst the other inconveniences that conventional dentures cause.

Enter the All-on-4 dental implants solution! Four titanium screws each are installed for the bottom and top arches of your mouth for your artificial teeth to sit comfortably. This stops them from moving around while eating, talking, coughing, or sneezing. These full-arch dental implants can be placed at the top, bottom, or both parts of your mouth.

The All-on-4 patient selection is important to consider. Ideal candidates for this procedure would be patients with only a few natural teeth left in either their top and/or bottom arches or no natural teeth left in their mouth. If a patient’s teeth are in a state of disrepair, a dentist will recommend the all-on-4 implants to improve dental health. All on 4 dental implants in Los Angeles require patients with a strong enough bone density.

All-on-4 Technology: How It Works

All on 4 dental implants in Los Angeles take time to obtain because of the extensive process evaluating multiple factors pre-procedure. If you choose Southland Dental Care, Dr. Delaram Hanookai and her professionally trained dental health team can help! They will walk you through the patient selection process, oral health evaluation, and selecting the right All-on-4 dental implant surgical procedure.

All-on-4 affixes a set of teeth using the four metal screws implanted into the gums. The set of teeth has attachments that fit perfectly onto the implants. This ensures they do not move around once a dentist screws them into place at the office. This is the best procedure for a patient’s mouth that cannot withstand traditional implants.

Materials Used for All-On-4 Implants & Their Benefits

The materials utilized for all-on-4 implants will depend on the brands your dentist has in stock. Knowing the best brands for implants will guarantee a high-quality usage experience once surgery is complete. Investing in a low-quality brand may cause the implants to fail.

Choose from the best brands such as:

• Dentsply Sirona
• Nodent
• Nobel Biocare
• Straumann
• Zimmer Biomet

The best materials for All-on-4 implants are acrylic, zirconia, and porcelain. Teeth bridges made of acrylic are the most commonly used for all-on-4 implants and are reinforced with a titanium bar. If the patient does not have a bad habit of grinding or clenching teeth, these implants will work best. Acrylic implants are more cost-effective, but they may not last as long as implants utilizing higher-end materials.

Zirconia is a new material utilized as an alternative material for dental implants. It’s the best option that copies the aesthetic of having real teeth despite wearing prosthetic ones because of its translucent properties. The bite zirconia prosthetic teeth produce is much different than other implants. Hence, conduct more personal research to discover which material is right for your all-on-4 implants.

Because porcelain is stronger than acrylic, there is a higher success rate because porcelain’s properties promote longevity post-procedure. Porcelain implants usually allow you to chew your food better and have a more realistic appearance than acrylic implants. Because of its stability in affixing to the implants, porcelain implants improve your speech ability, too. If properly cared for, porcelain all-on-4 implants can last two decades or longer.

Alternative Implant Option

Patients also have the option to request a removable set of teeth. They are like dentures but are more convenient as they stay affixed unless you snap them out. In this case, rather than 4 screws implanted into the gums, there are only two. Rather than being screwed into the implants, they snap into place overtop the two screws. This way, the patient can easily remove the teeth for routine cleaning. This option does not hold up as strongly as the traditional all-on-4 procedure. However, it allows the patient more autonomy in teeth removal.

The key difference between All-on-4 vs traditional implants is how the procedures are conducted. The all-on-4 procedure restores dental health with a prosthetic teeth plate affixed to implants. Traditional implants involve having each tooth missing from the mouth individually custom-made to implant where each old tooth was.

Key Factors To Consider Before Choosing All-on-4

There are a few key factors to consider for All-on-4. The patient’s oral health condition needs to be in a satisfactory state for the procedure to commence. Considering the patient’s budget is another determining factor as to whether all-on-4 or another implant procedure would be best. We will also touch on the long-term maintenance and care involved post-procedure.

Undergoing a complex procedure like all-on-4 requires extensive dental implant treatment planning. Hence, we will analyze these factors to help you decide if such a procedure is right for the patient’s dental health.

See also full mouth dental implants

Patient’s Oral Health Condition

Your dental hygienist will evaluate if you still have a substantial bone density for All-on-4 to be effective. If there’s extensive bone loss, the dentist cannot install the implants because complications could result. Especially for a patient who has lost almost all their teeth, it’s vital to ensure limited bone resorption has occurred before the procedure.

Other patient health statistics should also be considered besides their bone loss percentage. If the patient’s blood sugar is too high, or they have critical gum disease, your dentist won’t allow All-on-4 implants. Your dentist will guide you through the patient selection process, oral health evaluation, and selecting the All-on-4 dental implant surgical procedure that’s right for you.

Cost and Budget Considerations

The patient and dentist should note the All-on-4 cost considerations. In California, the average cost for a full-mouth procedure of All-on-4 is about $56,000. The average cost for having only the top or bottom arch All-on-4 dental implant done is $28,000.

The patient needs to call their dental insurance to see how much of the procedure will be covered if not all of it. Some dental plans may not cover the full amount of surgical procedures, so it’s best to consider what the patient will be paying out-of-pocket. If the patient does not have dental coverage, a payment plan can be discussed to pay the balance off over time.

Long-Term Maitenance and Care

It’s essential to practice routine dental implant maintenance. Besides brushing and flossing daily, have your implants cleaned twice annually like usual routine dental check-ups with traditional teeth. While it’s tempting and convenient to use floss picks, opt for thread floss. It’s more effective in bacteria removal to keep your implants pristine.

Complications of the all-on-4 procedure may include bone loss, implant failure, infection, nerve damage, and pain around the implant areas. If any of these or other complications occur, schedule an appointment with the dentist immediately.

Speech and Aesthetic Adaption

Speech and aesthetics All-on-4 are greatly improved post-procedure. Your smile is restored and you will have a full set of teeth for talking and eating. Since the implants are more secure than dentures, the patient can verbally articulate clearly while communicating with friends and family. However, these clear articulating capabilities take time to assimilate with new prosthetic teeth in your mouth.

Adjusting to new speech patterns because of dental implants can be challenging. Taking your time speaking and pronouncing each word as clearly as possible will assist with those speech changes. Schedule sessions with a speech therapist to help you practice daily speaking. Grab your favorite book and read it out loud to polish your confidence with your new speech patterns.

Proprioception and Bite Force Considerations

It’s important to under the prosthetic adaptation All-on-4 properties. Proprioception means you cannot feel your bite while chewing food. This phenomenon is prominent when tasting different temperatures of hot and cold food. These common side effects will correct themselves as the implants set in your mouth.

Occlusion is how the teeth on both parts of the jaw meet up together, which shows your bite’s efficiency. One tip for managing occlusion includes biting on articulating ribbon pre and post-procedure to evaluate whether the bite has changed. The mark MIP method shows dentists the different marks on teeth when patients bite down, which shows if a bite is off or not. From there, the implant’s positioning can be fixed accordingly for a better bite.

Evenly distribute food throughout your mouth and gingerly chew it to enhance chewing efficiency. Rather than eating large bites, cut your food into smaller pieces so it’s easier to manage. Avoiding hard and chewy candies that could damage your implants is essential for them to last long-term.

Managing Parafunctional Habits

Bruxism, otherwise known as teeth clenching, can cause dental issues over time including cracked or lost teeth and jaw-related issues. If the patient has a bruxism habit, it needs to be carefully mitigated pre and post-procedure for the implants to last. Finding ways to lessen stress, which can include mindfulness techniques like meditating, is essential for managing bruxism.

All-on-4 treatments are placed towards the jawbone’s front. However, alternative treatments like bar-supported dentures could have more than 4 implants in this same area for enhanced strength in keeping the dental implants intact. The patient’s jawbone must possess specific properties to receive bar-supported dentures. If the patient has constant high stress levels and has trouble mitigating their bruxism, this alternative treatment may be right for them.

Patient Education and Decision-Making

Patients must do dental implant decision-making to decide whether all-on-4 or another procedure is right for them. This is why detailed consultations are vital for patients to learn about the procedure thoroughly. Each patient’s dental needs are different. Hence, discussing the patient’s health conditions and whether they want removable or non-removable implants will round out the consultation.

Furthermore, setting realistic expectations is essential for an optimal recovery. The time it takes to recover varies from person to person. Don’t stress if you can’t eat your favorite foods or talk the way you envisioned immediately. It takes time for the implants to fuse to the bone and for you to get used to them.

If a patient is unsure if the all-on-4 dental implant surgery is right for them, alternative options exist. Receiving traditional implants, which means replacing everything tooth by tooth, is possible if other teeth in the mouth are healthy. Opting for removable dentures can be like a preview to the all-on-4 experience without the added convenience of the implants.

Hybrid dentures marry traditional implants with an all-on-4 implant on one arch or the other. This would be like the example we covered earlier

Preparation Before the Procedure

The patient will have to do a few tasks to prepare for the All-on-4 procedure the night before. Your dentist will order you to fast the night prior so there won’t be any problems with the anesthesia administered to calm your nerves.

Set out your outfit before you go to bed so you can get ready and out the door on time. Dental professionals recommend wearing loose-fitting clothing for the best blood circulation during the surgical procedure.

A few days before the procedure, stock up on liquid diet staples. You aren’t going to want to feel like leaving home after the procedure, so take the take to prepare beforehand. Stock up on yogurt, ingredients for milkshakes and fruit smoothies, broth, ice pops, and other items noted on the list below.

Make your home comfortable since you will be there for a few days post-procedure. Catch up on household chores (i.e. dishes and laundry) and change out the bedding so you have a comfortable, clean place to rest. You don’t want to have more to worry about during your recovery, so get these tasks done beforehand.

Ask a friend or family member to give you a ride home after the procedure. Be sure to also ask for time off from work to recover. You will need time to rest and recover, so you should not drive around or go to work the first 3-5 days afterward.

Post-Procedure Care and Long-Term Success

A challenging factor of post-procedure care for all-on-4 is the patient having to go on a liquid diet for the first 14 days. After these couple weeks on a liquid diet, the patient can start consuming somewhat solid foods for the next five and a half months. This is important to follow so that the implants have time to fuse with the bone during the recovery process.

The liquid diet consumed during the first two weeks can be:

• Ice pops
• Water
• Tea
• Jell-O
• Chicken or beef broth
• Fruit juices
• Milk
• Milkshakes
• Pudding
• Ice

To add more body to your liquid diet, you can ask your dentist to allow soft cereals. Oatmeal, cream of wheat, and grits would fall under this category. Pureeing potatoes in a liquid soup or consuming strained meats almost like the ones in baby food jars are other liquid diet additions to help you feel fuller. Ask your dentist to clear you to eat these foods during your first recovery days.

Once the implants are installed into the patient’s arches, they undergo osseointegration as they fuse with the surrounding bones.

Brush and floss your prosthetic teeth regularly. For best results, brush and floss after every meal. Shoot for brushing twice daily if it isn’t possible to clean your teeth after every meal.

If you smoke, take the steps to quit. Your implants could sustain long-term damage if you continue to smoke. Evaluate the physical activities in which you will be participating to ensure you don’t cause injury to your implants.

In the following days after surgery, there are some things you shouldn’t do to protect your new implants. Eat only cold or room-temperature foods for a week. Warm broth is okay as long as it is not piping. Hot foods are discouraged for the first week after surgery.

Drink liquids out of a cup rather than through a straw so it doesn’t stress your implants. Avoid crunchy foods for the first couple of weeks during recovery. Try not to perform any heavy work for the 4 days immediately after recovery.

Case Studies and Success Stories

What’s best in promoting patient education All-on-4 is to evaluate case studies and success stories about the procedure. Many studies have displayed that patients have seen success after the implants and their dental health improved because of them.

One elderly patient from Southland Dental Care underwent all-on-4 surgery over two years. This video shows her biting into an apple when she recovered.

Other success stories from actual patients at our practice show that dental health can go from horrible to spectacular. Peter Cohen had severe periodontal disease, but he turned his dental health around with all-on-4 implants. Bob Carroll had many teeth gaps and holes and cavities. At first, he felt discouraged to seek dental care, but finding Dr. Delaram Hanookai changed his life. The all-on-4 surgery gave him his smile back.

One scientific case study showed that the simplicity of the all-on-4 dental implant method is easier than traditional dental implants. Traditional implants make the procedure more complex, especially for dental patients with more missing teeth. Removing the remaining teeth and initiating the all-on-4 procedure saves time and money in contrast to administering traditional implants.

Conclusion

Now that you know more about the All-on-4 dental implant procedure, let’s review the key considerations again. The patient’s oral health condition and overall health status should be satisfactory before the dentist allows the procedure.

Before you undergo an All-on-4 procedure, consult a dental professional first. Are you seeking a dentist to perform all-on-4 dental implants in Los Angeles? Look no further than Dr. Delaram Hanookai at Southland Dental Care. She has garnered over 28 years of experience practicing periodontology as a dental implantologist. As a fellowship recipient of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, you can entrust her to fulfill your dental implant care needs.

Contact us or use our online system to schedule your visit! Now is the time to get started on improving your dental health!