All-On-4

The word "All-On-4" has been a big buzz word recently in the dental world.  So much that people are now asking for "All-On-4" as much as they would like "tooth-whitening".  For this reason we decided to put a few words together to explain the "All-On-4" concept and tie our philosophy into it.

Sadly, many patients are faced with the debilitating reality of missing all of their teeth or the need to have all of their teeth removed either in one or both of their upper and lower jaws.  There is often a struggle with dentures which impacts negatively on quality of life.  For those who have never worn a full denture these are the situations it can develop into: lack of security due to movements in the denture which can cause pain and discomfort, restrictions in foods (and subsequently nutrition and overall health), reduced pleasure in eating due to the denture covering the palate and hence obstructing the flavour and smell of food, lack of confidence in social situations and inter-personal relationships.  Underneath from a biological perspective, dentures do not support the jaw bone and gum and will contribute to the shrinkage of bone (bone resorption). Subsequently a cycle of less support, less retention, more mobility and a less secure denture develops over time. It is such a large impact on an individual's life that the World Health Organisation recommend the minimum standard of treatment for a person without any lower teeth is at least two dental implants which a denture can clip into.  

"All-On-4" refers to all teeth being supported by only four implants.  The technique involves the two front implants placed straight and the back implants are tilted 45 degrees which can avoid bone deficiencies often found in the upper jaw.  The procedure involves a surgical procedure and often teeth can be placed the next day of the procedure.

Do we provide "All-On-4" treatment?

This simple answer is "Yes".  But dentistry is not simple and we do not take any surgical procedure just "simply".  So here is our philosophy.  Firstly, we SAVE teeth.  Even though some teeth may appear like they can not be saved, there are plenty of situations where it can be possible.  At the end of the day, once the natural teeth are removed we can never put them back and they can only be replaced by a man-made device.

So, when the situation arises where we can not save the teeth then we CUSTOMISE treatment to your needs, biological capacity (amount of bone and gum left) and to your budget. "All-On-Four" treatment can be a great option for some but where we disagree is that it has recently become a treatment proposal to most.  Let's face it, we are not all the same, have the same teeth, amount of bone and gum, the same aesthetic wants or the same budget.  Our team are firm believers of customised treatment and understanding what is the best option for our individual patient.  Hence we spend a great deal of time to study your Cone Beam CT Scan, understand the amount of bone and gum you have then formulate a plan which will give the best aesthetics and longevity.  This could mean 4, 5 or 6 implants and its positioning will not be dictated to a formula but customised for where we can locate the best quality of bone in your jaw and the best physics for the bridge on the implants.

The bridge on top of the implants is just as important.  We use only the highest quality materials which are processed by top Australian dental technicians with formal qualifications and who also love their job.

Want to know more or book an appointment? Please contact us.

*Please note:  Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding with treatment you should seek a second opinion.