THE ALL-ON-4®
What is the All-on-4®?
The All-on-4® is a dental implant technique
that can be used to provide patients with a new
set of fixed (non-removable), highly aesthetic
and immediately functional teeth in as little as a
single appointment. These patients are typically
edentulous (have lost all of their original adult
teeth), near-edentulous or are suffering from
a failing dentition as a result of advanced
periodontal (gum) disease. Many have existing
loose or failing bridgework and others are denture
or partial denture wearers.
How does the All-on-4® dental implant
technique differ from dentures?
The All-on-4® dental implant technique provides
patients with fixed (non-removable) teeth and
because of this, they:
Are cleaned and maintained similarly to natural
teeth and do not need to be removed after meals or
at night time.
Enable you to bite down with close to a natural
bite, thus allowing you to enjoy the foods you
love, but couldn’t manage with uncomfortable
dentures.
Do not shift around and cannot fall out,
saving patients much discomfort and social
embarrassment.
Do not rest solely on the gums, as is the case with
dentures, and therefore seldom cause irritation,
inflammation and the development of sores in the
mouth.
Dental implants promote better jaw bone health by
channeling the functional stimulation associated
with eating into the supporting hard tissue.
Can halt the progression of bone loss in the jaw
and so do not require one’s bridgework to be
redone every few years or so (as a result of the
changing shape of the jaw).
Do not incur repeated expenses such as messy
adhesives, soaking solutions, anesthetic gels and
other hygienic and storage products typically
needed for dentures.
The All-on-4® MALO CLINIC bridge is far
slimmer than traditional bulky dentures and
doesn’t cover the hard palate. Consequently, it
does not tend to trigger the gag reflex or impede
your ability to taste and sense the temperature of
your food properly.
What is the difference between the All-on-4®
and conventional dental implant techniques?
The All-on-4® technique is a breakthrough in
the field of fixed oral rehabilitation as it enables
our skilled team of dental implant professionals
to achieve unprecedented results and treatment
times. The key differences between this incredible
innovation and older dental implant methods for
the replacement of an entire row of teeth are:
*The All-on-4® only requires four dental
implants to provide patients with new teeth. Older
techniques could require as many as six, eight or
even ten dental implants to be placed per jaw! This
means that for full mouth reconstruction, a patient
could be looking at having as many as 20 dental
implants placed, which frequently worked out to
be prohibitively expensive. Additionally, the use
of more implants means more surgery, incurring a
longer recovery period with greater post-operative
pain. If spaced too close together, the risks of
complications and implant failure could be greater.
The All-on-4® typically only requires a single
surgery to give patients new teeth. With only
four dental implants needed per jaw, full arch
replacement can quite easily and safely be
completed within the space of a single procedure.
Older techniques could see a patient coming in
for treatment for up to 18 months, as the greater
number of implants and “necessary” bone grafting
would have to be performed in sessions. This
means lengthier treatment, greater discomfort,
multiple recovery periods, more time off from
work, inconvenience and, of course, expense!
The All-on-4® typically avoids the need for bone
grafting surgery. The oral diseases that cause tooth
loss can also deteriorate jawbone health. This
combined with atrophy (caused by the loss of
functional stimulation of the jawbone via the tooth
roots) used to necessitate the augmentation of the
jawbone before the surgeon could even consider
treatment using dental implants. However, owing
to the strategic arrangement of implants utilizing
the All-on-4®technique, we can almost always
find enough support from the existing bone volume
for a new set of teeth to be placed. This saves
patients significant discomfort, money and time
AND it almost always enables patients to receive
new and immediately functional teeth in as little as
a single day.
What is the success rate of the All-on-4®
procedure? What influences failure?
The All-on-4® has an extremely high success rate
over 10 years, which means that almost all patients
who have received treatment will still be enjoying
their new teeth after a period of 10 years. Here at
the All on 4 clinic, we perform the All-on-4® The
MALO CLINIC Way – the way it was researched
and innovated – while making use of only the
highest quality prosthetics and dental implant
products(the same implants Prof Malo designed
for this procedure) . As such, like them, we enjoy
an incredible success rate in treating patients who
have lost most or all of their teeth.
There are a handful of factors that may lead to
implant failure, but luckily, most of these are in the
hands of the patient. Smoking, heavy drinking and
not following post operative instructions or dietary
restrictions can significantly affect the chances of
success. There are also certain medical conditions,
such as diabetes, that can affect the success and
lifespan of your All-on-4®implants; however all
of these risk factors will be discussed in detail with
you at the time of your consultation.
Who is a candidate for All-on-4® implants?
Almost every patient is a candidate for the Allon
4® implant procedure. During your initial
consultation, we will assess your current state
of oral health (looking for signs of periodontal
disease and jaw bone deterioration), your
medical history (making special note of diabetes,
respiratory disease, heart disease and bleeding
ADVERTORIAL
tendencies that may render surgery risky) and agerelated
diseases, such as osteoporosis. Age itself is
never considered a problem.
What does the All-on-4® procedure involve?
Getting new teeth with the All-on-4® dental
implant technique typically involves one or more
initial consultations with one of our experienced
and compassionate dental implant team members.
Most of our surgery is done while you are asleep,
to ensure maximum comfort. That day or the next
day, we will see you to make your provisional
bridge. This is followed by a schedule of followup
appointments during which we ensure that your
implants are healing properly and your new teeth
are functioning optimally.
How much time should I take off from work?
We typically recommend that you take a few days
off to relax and see your recovery off to as good a
start as possible. Having said this, many patients
return to work the very day after the surgery! It all
depends on your schedule, your constitution and
how strong you feel.
Is the All-on-4® procedure painful?
The use of sedative medications and local
anesthetics ensure that you are kept entirely
comfortable and pain and anxiety-free during the
All-on-4® procedure. As with any surgery, you
can expect some post-operative discomfort, but we
will send you home with prescription analgesics
(pain-killers) to help manage this. In any case,
this discomfort is typically minimal and seldom
persists for more than a few days.
Will I need to return to the All on 4 clinic after
the procedure?
Yes. We do require that you return to us between
10 and 14 days after your surgery so that we can
make sure your implants are healing well and that
there are no signs of infection or complications.
We may also clean and reattach your temporary
bridge. In a subsequent appointment, after your
implants have fully bonded to the bone, you will
receive your customized final bridge. Thereafter,
you need only come to the all on 4 clinic or your
dentist for the standard scheduled professional
cleanings and check-ups.
Can I get both my bottom and upper teeth
replaced with All-on-4® implants?
Yes! The All-on-4® dental implant technique
can be used to replace your upper or lower set
of teeth, or both. Should you require full mouth
reconstruction, our experienced dental implants
surgeons can replace both dental arches on the
same day if recommended and desirable.
Will the results look natural?
Absolutely! The prosthetic dental bridge attached
to the All-on-4® dental implants is expertly
fabricated by highly trained MALO CLINIC lab
technicians to be virtually indistinguishable from
a set of natural, healthy teeth. Using moulds or
impressions that are taken of your teeth during
your initial consultation with us, the bridge will
be custom made to perfectly fit the natural
contours of your jaw, thus making it look and feel
very natural.
32 Pindara Magazine 2017