All-on-4® Treatment Concept
Green Bay, WI

Losing your teeth has serious implications for your life. Suddenly, tasks that were once simple (like eating or talking) become a difficult chore. Moreover, when you are missing an entire arch of teeth (or even all of them), it becomes downright impossible. Traditionally, the way to deal with tooth loss was through the use of dentures. At Bay Lakes Center for Complex Dentistry, we utilize the latest dental technologies, and advancements in these technologies have led to dental implants and the All-on-4 treatment concept.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are an alternative to traditional restorative dentistry options, such as bridges and dentures. They consist of titanium rods, which are surgically placed into your jawbone. As you heal from surgery, the bone in your jaw fuses to the rods, creating a stable root which supports your false teeth. The teeth are affixed permanently with screws. To be considered for dental implants, you must first have sufficient bone mass in your jaw, which can be assessed at your initial consultation with the help of digital X-rays.

The All-on-4 Difference

Typically, with regular dental implants, we would determine how many implants would be needed to properly, and successfully, support a full arch of missing teeth. With the All-on-4 treatment concept, though, we can minimize the number of implants per arch. As the name suggests, we can create a strong, stable, permanent set of false teeth on only 4 implants. This is done by placing two implants toward the front of your mouth, both completely vertical. The other two implants are placed toward the back of the jaw at a 45-degree angle. This is also known as teeth in a day.

All-on-4 Procedure

Before we get started, a local anesthetic is administered, along with a sedative, if you need help to relax. After the anesthetic has taken effect, we will make incisions in your gums to expose your jawbone. Holes are drilled into your jaw, and the titanium rods placed. Finally, your gums are stitched closed around the implants. A small portion of the rods will be exposed above the gum tissue. You won't be getting your permanent teeth until after you heal, but we will provide you with a set of temporary teeth so that you eat and speak normally.

Healing can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks, during which time you will come into the office periodically so that we can check on your progress. Once you have healed, we will place the abutments on the ends of the rods and take impressions to custom fabricate your permanent teeth. When they are ready, we will screw them into place, and you are left with a set of false teeth that look, function, and can be treated, just like natural teeth.

Enjoy the Benefits of All-on-4s

With the All-on-4 treatment concept, you are awarded the same benefits of regular dental implants, along with a few extras:

An alternative to traditional dentures, the All-on-4 treatment concept provides you with a beautiful, permanent set of false teeth, restoring both your life and your confidence. For more information on All-on-4s and to learn if you are a candidate, contact Bay Lakes Center for Complex Dentistry today!