I’ve lost all most of my teeth and the remaining ones are loose and need to be extracted. My dentist says that I have enough bone for All-on-4 implants. It probably sounds bad, but I’m tired of dealing with teeth problems and am really looking forward to dentures. Anyway, I am wondering if two dental implants are good enough. It seems like a great way to save money and there would be less to go wrong. Is this a good solution?
Thanks, Sal
Sal,
All-on-4 dental implants
The All-on-4 process is well known. Some companies and practices may use the terms overdenture or implant-supported denture instead. There are versions that are referred to as fixed or permanent because you cannot take them out. There are also removable or snap-on dentures, which you can take out as needed—and particularly to maintain good oral hygiene.
All-on-4 Implants Balance Your Denture
Dentures with no additional support stay in place with suction or adhesives. While they are a cost-effective replacement, may look natural, and work well, they don’t feel natural. Some people struggle with movement in the appliance or keeping the dentures in place. Imagine if you add a single dental implant to the appliance. It might stay in place better than it would with no implants at all, but you won’t really improve the stability or balance.
If you add a second implant, the retention will improve, but again, there will still be a significant area without an implant, and stability will continue to be an issue. As you add additional anchors, as with All-on-4 implants, the stability of the prosthesis will increase. You could function with a denture that’s only anchored in two or three places, but it won’t be as secure as a denture that is anchored in four or six places.
Dental Implants Have a High Success Rate
Fewer implants don’t necessarily guarantee success. Generally, individual dental implants successfully integrate and remain healthy 98% of the time. But the largest determining factor of success is the dentist you choose.
Dentists who frequently provide implant-supported dentures, such as oral surgeons, prosthodontists, periodontists, and a few general dentists with extra training, provide statistically better outcomes for their patients. In part, this is because they are more skilled, but another reason is that they look at each case and evaluate it individually. They know when a person isn’t a good candidate at all, as well as what options will provide the highest success rates.
Find a specialist who routinely handles cases like yours and trust that what he or she recommends for the best outcome. If All-on-4 is an option, your experience with dentures will be better if you agree to receive more than two implants to secure them.
This post is sponsored by Atlanta periodontist Dr. David Pumphrey.
