My dentist is suggesting I get all-on-four dental implants. I like the idea of having implants instead of dentures, but thought four was a big risk and four chances for something to go wrong. Can I get just one or two? That seems like it would better my chances of it taking.
Maggie
Dear Maggie,
It sounds like you’re more concerned about the chance of dental implant failure than you are the cost of two additional implants. You should know the biggest factor in whether or not an implant case is successful is the dentist who does the procedure, not how many dental implants you have placed.
When done by a skilled professional who does the procedure often, such as an oral surgeon, periodontist, prosthodontists, and even general dentists with extra training, you have a 98%-99% success rate. If that’s’ your major concern, I wouldn’t lessen your number of implants.
How Many Implants Do You Need?
When anchoring a denture, you can have as few as two dental implants. Just bear in mind they won’t be as secure as they would with four or six. Your quality of life goes up with the number of implants because of the security of your implants.
For instance, with two you won’t have to worry about them slipping out of your mouth as you would with complete dentures, but they will move some. With six, you’ve got very secure dentures which will stay in place completely.
One thing to consider is why your dentist suggested the All-on-4 dental implant procedure. Sometimes it’s recommended for patients who have less bone structure. It’s a different type of procedure which angles the implants. In that case, you may really need the all-on-four.
Another option is to have bone grafting done to build up your bone and then you can choose between several types of procedures.
This blog is brought to you by Atlanta Periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.