If many of your teeth are missing or damaged teeth, if you’ve been hiding your smile for years because of the condition of your teeth, or if you’re unhappy with the fit and function of your dentures, explore treatment with All-on-4®.
Our surgeons have performed this advanced procedure hundreds of times as board-certified specialists in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Through the All-on-4 treatment, patients in Salt Lake County and Utah County have regained the comfort, confidence, and quality of life that a healthy and attractive smile provides.
Video: Watch Dr. Price explain how the All-on-4 Treatment Concept works.
Why Choose the All-on-4 Treatment Concept?
Finding a cost-effective replacement option that restores both function and aesthetics to your mouth can be difficult, especially if you have lost most of your teeth. Options like removable dentures or numerous implants are costly and can involve an extremely time-consuming restoration and healing process. Luckily, with the surgeons of Utah Facial & Oral Surgery, you have an alternative option — the All-on-4 Treatment Concept.
The entire surgical procedure can usually be completed in one visit, which decreases the amount of post-surgical discomfort, bruising, and swelling that many patients in Salt Lake and Utah Counties experience with other replacement options. Additionally, this procedure is much less expensive than replacing an entire arch of teeth with individual implants and allows patients to solve both their functional and aesthetic problems much faster.
Benefits of All-on-4
All-on-4 is a technique for completely restoring one or both dental arches. The treatment provides several benefits to patients:
Immediate Improvement
Our surgeons and their team can give you back a complete and healthy smile in a single day. During the surgery, he removes old and diseased teeth and uses as few as four dental implants to support a new fixed bridge.
Restored Function
Traditional dentures have the risk of slipping as you speak or eat. All-on-4 prosthetic teeth are anchored by implants, giving you nearly all of the function of your original teeth.
Aesthetically Better
Underlying jaw bone erodes over time in areas where there are no tooth roots, which can actually change the appearance of your face. Implants prevent bone from resorbing in this way.
Simple to Maintain
Unlike traditional dentures, there’s no removing an appliance for daily cleaning. Care for your All-on-4 teeth by brushing them just like your originals.
Is All-on-4 Right for You?
You may be a good candidate for All-on-4 if one of the following applies:
- The majority of your teeth are missing or damaged.
- You currently wear dentures but would prefer a more secure, comfortable, and natural-looking option.
Some Salt Lake County and Utah County patients come to our practice after being told by other providers that they aren’t a candidate for implants because of the amount of bone resorption they’ve experienced. As oral and maxillofacial specialists, our surgeons can use advanced technology and skills to strengthen the underlying bone, making it possible for nearly every patient to have an All-on-4 treatment.
What is the All-on-4 Dental Implant Process?
All-on-4 dental implants can allow you to leave the oral surgeon’s office with a full set of teeth the same day. Whether you are just now addressing significant tooth loss or damage, or you want a more secure option than traditional dentures, these implants could be a good option for you. Here is how it works:
- Your oral surgeon will review your dental x-rays, evaluate any existing conditions, and create a treatment plan.
- Any remaining teeth that need to be extracted will be removed.
- Four dental implants will be inserted into your jawbone: two vertically in the front and two at an angle in the back. This process takes about two hours per arch.
- Temporary replacement teeth will be attached to the dental implants leaving you with a full set of teeth the same day.
- After the implants have fully integrated with existing bone, a process that takes about three months, your permanent replacement teeth will be attached.
What Is the Recovery from All-on-4 Like?
During the procedure, your surgeon will place between four and six dental implants in each of the dental arches. Then, he’ll connect a temporary set of teeth to the implants.
The temporary teeth will not have the same strength and stability as the final bridge of teeth that you will receive. However, you’ll leave your appointment with an attractive and complete smile.
Most of our Salt Lake County and Utah County patients don’t have a lot of pain or swelling after surgery and can return to normal activities within a couple of days. Expect to stick to a fairly soft diet for four months, allowing the jaw bone time to heal around the implants.
After four months, you’ll come back to our office for a final checkup and schedule a follow-up visit with your general dentist. The general dentist will have the permanent bridge produced and attach it in place of the temporary set of teeth. This will complete the treatment.
Does Insurance Cover All-on-4?
If defraying the cost of your procedure is important, we recommend that you speak with your dental insurance company before having surgery. This will allow you to get the most accurate information possible about options for paying for your All-on-4 procedure.
Despite the oral health benefits that All-on-4 provides, insurance companies typically categorize the treatment as cosmetic. However, your insurer may still cover a portion of your care with our practice, such as teeth extraction, even if it does not address the cost of the actual implant placement. Utah Oral & Facial Surgery is here to help Salt Lake County and Utah County patients with any questions they may have about their treatment.
Restore your smile and get back the full functionality of your bite with All-on-4. Contact Utah Facial and Oral Surgery online or by phone at (801) 446-4428 for an appointment.
