It’s normal to lose teeth with age. A lifetime of wear and tear, a few lapses in dental hygiene, or a bad roll of the genetic dice all contribute to premature tooth loss. The stigma of missing teeth can hurt your self-esteem and make it challenging to maintain social relationships, not to mention eating your food.
Once upon a time, dentures were the go-to solution for replacing lost teeth. But the good news is that modern tooth replacement technology has expanded the options so that you no longer have to fight sticky pastes or soreness at the denture base. All-on-4 implants provide a minimally invasive way to replace lost teeth with permanent dental implants.
Important Terminology to Know About All-on-4 Implants
If you are considering an All-on-4 dental implant as a treatment option to restore your teeth, there are a lot of unique words that can make it difficult to keep up with what the doctor is explaining. Prepare for your appointment with a quick review of common words that might come up when discussing your treatment plan.
Alveolar Bone: The bone surrounding the root of the tooth that keeps the tooth in place.
Clasp: A device that holds a removable partial denture prosthesis to the surrounding teeth.
Denture Base: Part of the denture that connects the artificial teeth with the soft tissue of the gums.
Edentulous: A term used to identify people who do not have any teeth.
Fixed Full-Arch Restoration: A common treatment option for edentulous patients who are missing an entire arch of teeth.
Fixed Provisional Bridge: A dental bridge that is cemented in place for a temporary period. If successful, the bridge will be replaced with a permanent prosthetic bridge.
Full-Arch Rehabilitation: The treatment involves using the All-on-4 implants to provide a new, natural-looking set of teeth.
Full Arch Treatment: The process of replacing a full arch (upper or lower) of teeth.
Graftless Procedure: A dental implant that does not require a bone graft.
Nobel Biocare: A company that manufacturers dental implants.
Periodontal Disease: A condition that causes inflammation of the gingival tissues and membrane of the teeth. If untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss, bone loss, and systemic inflammatory disease.
Pontic: A term for an artificial tooth on a fixed partial denture.
Resin/Acrylic: Resinous material that is used to create a denture base.
Stomatitis: Inflammation of the tissue that underlies a poorly fitting denture.
Final Thoughts on All-on-4 Implants
Dental implants have come a long way. Patients with significant tooth loss can benefit from All-on-4 implants over other treatment methods like individual implants or traditional dentures. These types of implants are minimally invasive and can be implanted in a single visit. They last for decades and have a statistically high success rate. When compared to other treatment options, All-on-4 implants are the most cost-efficient, permanent treatment option for full-arch restorations. While this type of implant isn’t appropriate for every situation of tooth loss, it is a great option for significant tooth loss. Contact us today to learn more.