When patients are considering dentures, they often express concern about how the appliances will affect their ability to eat their favorite foods. While conventional dentures may fall short when it comes to chewing certain foods, All-on-4 dental implants preserve much of the biological smile’s functionality. As such, patients who want to avoid dietary restrictions should explore this treatment option.
How All-on-4 Dental Implants Work
With the All-on-4 treatment method, a prosthodontist inserts four dental implants into the patient’s jaw to secure an entire denture. The dental implants are made of titanium, a biocompatible metal with which bone tissue can fuse tightly. Over the course of several months after implant placement, the dental implants are osseointegrated and become a permanent fixture in the jaw.
Typically bone loss can be a significant obstacle to dental implant placement, especially for long-term denture wearers. However, All-on-4 overcomes this. Because the prosthodontist places the four dental implants at the front of the jaw, where bone loss occurs more gradually, many patients will be good candidates for this treatment even if their bone has begun to atrophy at the rear of the jaw.
Improved Functionality Of All-on-4
Dental implants function as artificial tooth roots, so All-on-4 is a structurally complete method for restoring a patient’s smile. It’s worth noting that conventional dentures lack such root-like structures, which limits their functionality. For example, the connection between the implant and the bone helps an implant-supported appliance to withstand stronger chewing forces than a standard denture can. As a result, a much larger amount of the patient’s chewing function is preserved with All-on-4.
Additionally, the dental implants help to anchor the jawbone tissue and prevent its erosion. Not only does the appliance stay in place with the dental implants, it also retains its fit over the course of time when conventional dentures tend to become looser.
All-on-4 has many benefits in comparison to standard dentures, including maintaining the patient’s ability to chew a wider variety of foods. To learn more about the advantages of All-on-4, call Dakota Prosthodontics and Implant Center to ask any questions you may have or come in for an initial consultation.
