Am I a Candidate?
Candidates should have a terminal dentition in one or both jaws. In other words, all teeth in the jaw in question should be candidates for extraction. This treatment is not intended for people who need only a few teeth replaced.
What to Expect: The Treatment Process
The “All-on-4″ procedure gets its name because as few as four implants can be used to safely and effectively secure a mouth full of dentures.
Since its inception in 1998, the procedure has been refined and huge advancements have been made due to the introduction of 3D imaging and newer implant technologies. Today, the procedure is very commonly done in many dental implant offices and is routinely done at Oliver Dental & Implants.
In fact, Dr. Oliver has been personally trained in this technique by its inventor, Dr. Malo, at his facility in Rutherford, New Jersey.
As with most surgical procedures, a thorough workup and case planning is essential for success. Patient medical history and current medication lists must be analyzed. Patients with diabetes, heart disease, immune deficiencies and smokers are at higher risk for complications. After the preliminary work-up, a 3D CAT scan is done to identify nerves and blood vessels as well as the location of the sinus cavities and other anatomical landmarks.
Our dentists use the i-CAT scanning machine in the office, and in conjunction with Anatomage implant software, can plan the surgery on a virtual basis before it starts.
After the treatment plan is complete, impressions are taken and new dentures are made in advance of the surgery. This requires three to four appointments about one week apart. Once the dentures are made, the patient is scheduled for surgery. If only one jaw is being restored, the surgery typically takes four to five hours, and six to seven hours if both jaws are restored.
Prior to the procedure, four medications may be prescribed to patients:
- An antibiotic to protect the patient from germs in the mouth getting into the bloodstream.
- A sedative to relax the patient.
- An analgesic for pain control.
- An antiseptic mouthwash to help prevent secondary infection after the procedure.
When the sedation takes effect, the patient is given local anesthetic to numb the region. Remaining teeth are then extracted and the jaw bone is contoured to receive the implants. Usually 4-5 implants are placed in each jaw and the dentures are converted to temporary bridges which are supported by the implants. These bridges cannot be removed by the patient.
During surgery, the torque or torsion resistance of each implant is carefully measured as it is placed. In rare cases, if the torque or strength of the implant is not sufficient to support a fixed bridge, then the implants are not loaded and the dentures are worn by the patient until the implants have sufficiently healed within the bone. The dentures are then converted to fixed bridges at a later time. In most cases, however, the dentures can be immediately converted to fixed bridges at the time of the surgery.
Learn More Today
Our dentists love helping patients understand if they’re a candidate for this treatment. To learn more, contact the practice today to get started.
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