All-on-four dentures have revolutionized the way missing teeth were replaced with full or complete dentures. They enable you to replace teeth on an entire dental arch with just four dental implants. To understand all-on-four dentures better, it’s important to know about dental implants.

A dental implant is a titanium screw which is surgically placed in the jaw to act as a false tooth root for dental prosthetics like crowns, bridges, or dentures. The basis for dental implants is osseointegration. It is a biologic process which allows biocompatible materials like titanium to integrate with the natural bone and become a part of it. Due to osseointegration, the dental implants or false tooth roots become well integrated with the jawbone. Connectors or abutments are attached to implants to hold dental prosthetics in place.

All-on-four dentures use the mechanism of dental implants to replace a full row of missing teeth. Four dental implants are surgically planted in the jaw and each implant is connected to an abutment. Each abutment is then connected to an overdenture which replaces all teeth on a dental arch. All-on-four dentures can be used to replace teeth on both the dental arches.

How are all-on-four dentures placed?

All-on-four dentures require a surgical placement of implants. The procedure can be completed in two simple steps.

Step 1

• The dental implant placement begins with a comprehensive examination to determine whether you are an ideal candidate to receive dental implants or not. The following criteria should be met to undergo a dental implant placement:
• The patient should be in good oral and overall health and not suffering from any serious diseases.
• The patient should have a healthy jawbone. It should be dense enough to support a titanium screw. In case of low  jawbone density, a bone grafting surgery will be performed, during which, healthy bone tissues from a donor area in the body will be transplanted to the recessed area.
• If the patient is a woman, she should not be pregnant while receiving the treatment.

Step 2

After the patient has been deemed as an eligible or ideal candidate to receive dental implants, impressions of his mouth will be obtained and sent to a dental lab. A lab technician uses these impressions to custom-design an over denture.

Next, the implant site is prepared. A general anesthetic is used to numb the site and if any teeth need to be extracted, a tooth extraction is performed. Then, four incisions are made in the gums and four holes are drilled in the underlying jawbone- two at the front of the jaw and two at the rear end. A dental implant is placed in each hole and the gums are sutured and secured in place.

Finally, an overdenture is attached to the implants to replace missing teeth on an entire arch.

At Glenn Dental we employ the practices of modern dentistry to systematically repair damage and enhance the appearance of your smile. Dr. Glenn Ong-Veloso and Dr. Joy Helou will design a custom plan for you to meet your individual requirements. We welcome you to contact us at 760-284-3060 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Glenn Ong-Veloso and Dr. Joy Helou to achieve a picture-perfect smile in Apple Valley and California City, California.