For the patient who is struggling with dentures due to missing or worn out teeth, the all on 4 procedure could be the solution to a pearly white smile. When patients have to wear a denture, and rely on their gums to carry the entire weight of it, there are complications and nuisances that follow because there is not enough support on the lower arch to support that denture for the rest of the patient’s life. This means periodic investments in new dentures will have to occur on multiple occasions. The All on 4 offers a long lasting, one-time investment of a denture that will never fall out or need to be replaced. Patients don’t have to worry about the All on 4 moving around and they also don’t have to worry about several costly restorations.
What is the All on 4?
The idea of the All on 4 is that all of your teeth are retained or supported by 4 dental implants on either the upper or lower jaw (whichever one needs work). Whatever teeth are remaining will be removed and then replaced with a denture that consists of 4 implants into your jaw. It’s permanent and does not come off. It does not fall off like a denture but will need to be extracted to receive your regular dental cleaning to maintain the implant. Your oral surgeon is the one that does the implant, and your general dentist and lab technician are the ones that help with the fitting of the denture. Those three people make up the team the day of the surgery. Be assured Dr. Landeros makes sure to eliminate any surprises the day the All on 4 takes place. “Part of the planning is explaining the procedure so the patient has a full understanding of what’s coming the day of the surgery,” explains Dr. Landeros, DDS of Valley Family Dentistry.
Why get it?
Hypothetically, let’s say a patient had all their teeth but they were decayed, meaning the patient needed a lot of extensive treatment done. Just to restore one tooth with treatment, such as a root canal, could cost close to $3,000! Imagine having to restore every single tooth with multiple procedures? The All on 4 truly is the best option and offers the best solution for the patient who is going to be wearing a denture for the rest of their life. The investment of this procedure is one that will only be made once and lasts a lifetime.
The procedure has also significantly decreased in cost over the years. Originally this method involved 6 implants in place, but has advanced over the years decreasing to 4 implants. This lead to a cut in required cost to perform the procedure, making it a much more affordable option for patients.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity that we’re able to provide teeth in one day — (one) that’s going to be more affordable for the patient,” says Dr. Landeros.
A patient from Valley Family Dentistry can attest to the positive outcome of having obtained a beautiful smile in a day.
“During New Year’s Eve one year, I proposed it to a patient of mine who had very worn down teeth. This patient had struggled with gum disease for most of their adult life and had lost a lot of their teeth. This person was very concerned because their front tooth broke. When I offered the All on 4, they went for it,” explains Dr. Landeros
The patient explained that her main concern was having a beautiful smile. After having explained the entire procedure to the patient and collecting labs, Dr. Landeros and a dedicated staff committed to doing the surgery a short three weeks later! After surgery, the patient received their promised “beautiful smile in a day.”
“It’s a very good investment because their quality of life just drastically changes for the better,” adds Dr. Landeros.
Upcoming advancements
The All on 4 is not a new procedure, but is something that is uncommonly practiced here in the Rio Grande Valley. Only a handful of oral surgeons administer the All on 4 procedure and currently none practice the new All in 3 procedure that is up-and-coming in the world of dentistry. The All on 3 is the same style of procedure as the All on 4 but only utilizes 3 implants instead of 4. Dr. Landeros hopes that an oral surgeon in our area would bring this innovative procedure to the residents of the Rio Grande Valley.
To learn more about the All on 4 procedure, please give us a call at (956) 423-0191.