All Teeth on 4 (or more) Implants
Cost
Removable dentures: starting at $13,720
Permanent bridges: starting at $24,325
Duration
First consultation: 60-120 mins
Second consultation: 30-45 mins
Preparation
Before: no preparation required.
After: if you have had implants with a bridge, maintain good oral hygiene as you usually would.
After: if you have had implants with a denture, remove and clean the dentures twice a day.
After: take care when removing and replacing the dentures.
What are All Teeth on 4 (or more) Implants?
Four implants are placed (and in some dental indications five or six implants) in either the top or bottom jaw and a denture or bridge is placed onto the implants. When a denture is used, the denture is made so that it snaps onto the four implants so the patient can take it on and off for cleaning. When a bridge is used, the bridge can be attached to the implants so that it is permanent (where only the dentist can remove it for maintenance) or it can be made removable. The key component of the fixed All Teeth on 4 (or more) Implants system is that the denture is made prior to the surgical day and placed onto the implants the same day the implants are surgically placed.
This denture will be exchanged into a final bridge once the healing of bone and soft tissue is finished and the new three dimensions of oral functions have been successfully established.
Benefits of an implant supported denture:
Denture stays firmly in place while eating, talking or smiling
Enjoy all those foods given up by denture wearers
There are no more embarrassing moments when a denture becomes loose at an inopportune time
No more trips to the restroom to remove food under your denture while at a restaurant
Upper dentures can be made without covering the roof of the mouth which alters speech or gags patients
Bone levels are preserved with the implants which reduces the need for relines
Feeling of confidence renewed
Better aesthetic results as no need for denture components under lip
It is usually the only way to regain a full restoration of facial dimensions, also known as the "oral facelift".
Process of removable style All Teeth on 4 (or more) Implants:
CBCT scan to determine optimum location of implant sites or the need for grafting when insufficient bone present
Impressions taken to have dentures fabricated
Implants are placed in very favourable conditions and the dentures affixed to implants
Healing of implants before making final denture which will have metal reinforcing for 4-9 months
Impressions taken again and discuss any modifications required from initial denture, such as teeth arrangement, colour or flange design
Possible to try in new dentures for confirmation of tooth colour and arrangement prior to processing
Deliver new denture that is removable with locator components.
Process of permanent bridge (zirconium)
The benefit of the zirconium bridge option of All Teeth on 4 (or more) Implants is aesthetics and durability and, most of all, an immediate way to restore an edentulous condition. This may also be done at the same appointment as the last teeth have to be extracted.
The zirconium bridge feels more like real teeth than the acrylic used to make the denture. It is considerably more expensive but worth every penny for those who want the best.
The permanent bridge option of All Teeth on 4 (or more) Implants starts with the same initial steps but the initial restoration will be a fixed and stable metal supported acrylic bridge. The second, permanent bridge can be made from Zirconium or a metal reinforced acrylic base. Both fabrication methods will have a space between the gum tissue and the underside of the bridge for access to cleaning. Some patients with a very high upper lip may not be candidates for the permanent bridge option made from Zirconium as a flange of some sort is required.
The permanent bridge fabrication would start after the six month healing phase and would take about a month to complete.
All of these restorations may also be fabricated as hybrid solutions, meaning that they can be altered from fixed to removable, if any medical condition requires this step to maintain an easier handling.
Please note: ‘All on 4’ is a trademarked term that is used to describe the dental procedure for placing all teeth on four implants, hence the name. Since the name is trademarked, we will use the term All Teeth On 4 (or more) Implants.