A Comprehensive Guide to All on Four Implants, PART 2

This four-part article series takes an in-depth look at All-on-Four dental implants, what they are and the various benefits they offer over removable dentures and traditional dental implant protocols.

Welcome back to our four-part article series on All on Four implants. In our previous post, we provided an introduction to this advanced surgical protocol for fixed oral rehabilitation and ended off with a brief discussion on the differences between All on Four implants and removable dentures; an archaic and out-dated dental technology. In this article, we shall take a closer look at the benefits and advantages of All on Four implants over dentures and why any patient who desperately requires a new set of teeth should opt for the fixed and non-removable solution afforded by the former.

Key Differences Between All on Four Implants and Removable Dentures

As opposed to false teeth, or removable dentures, the All on Four surgical protocol gives patients a complete set of permanent teeth that look, function and feel like natural teeth.
The All on Four prosthetic bridge:

• Is fixed and non-removable and won’t shift around or fall out.
• Is brushed, flossed and cared for just like natural teeth.
• Doesn’t need to be removed after meals or at nighttime for cleaning.
• Is fixed in place by dental implants and so doesn’t require messy, sticky adhesives.
• Is supported entirely by the jaw bone and not the underlying soft tissue. As such, All on Four implants don’t cause any pain, inflammation and discomfort of the gums.
• Does not necessitate a constant investment in anesthetic gels in order to combat the pain caused by dentures pressing down on and rubbing against the gums.
• Enables patients to experience their food properly: taste, texture and temperature!
• Does not trigger the gag reflex.
• Does not harbor food and bacteria, causing bad breath.
• Enables patients to bite down with a strong natural force, allowing them to eat all the foods they love and need to remain strong and healthy.
• All on Four implants promote good jaw bone health, thus preserving a patient’s youthful smile aesthetics.
• Without the risk of denture slippage and the unnatural aesthetics caused by bulky dentures pushing against the lips from inside the mouth, All on Four implants give patients a much more beautiful and confident smile.
• All on Four implants last decades and even a lifetime without the need for restoration and replacement.
• Dentures need to be refitted every few years or so as a result of loss of bone volume in the jaw (see image below).

For all these reasons and more, All on Four implants constitute a much smarter investment, not only in your oral health, but in your overall quality of life too. In order to fully appreciate many of the benefits offered by All on Four implants, one needs to understand the consequences of allowing missing teeth to go without replacement…

All on Four Implants: The Importance of Replacing Missing Teeth

Many patients only think about their appearance when it comes to replacing a tooth or several teeth that have gone missing. They think that as long as their replacement teeth look okay and work well enough to allow them to eat, then it’s worth the money they paid. But technologies such as removable dentures only replace the visible portion of missing teeth: the crowns. But the roots of the teeth play an essential role in keeping the underlying jaw bone stimulated and healthy. Without them, this hard tissue atrophies from disuse and wastes away. Jaw bone atrophy:

- Has a substantial aging effect upon one’s natural facial contours,
- Upsets dental stability along the tooth row, increasing your chance of losing more teeth,
- A greater risk of bacterial infection to your entire mouth,
- Can render the success of dental implant surgery doubtful.

Thankfully, the loss of bone volume consistently seen in patients who had gone without teeth and/or with dentures for many years could be overcome by All on Four implants. And in our next article installment, we’ll discuss exactly how!

All on Four Implants: Stay Tuned

To find out how All on Four implants can bypass the need for bone grafting surgery and what the benefits of this are, stay tuned for the third installment of this four-part article series.

A Comprehensive Guide to All on Four Implants, PART 1

This four-part article series takes an in-depth look at All-on-Four dental implants, what they are and the various benefits they offer over removable dentures and traditional dental implant protocols.

Prior to the innovation of All on Four implants, a patient’s journey to oral rehabilitation could involve as much as 18 months’ worth of consultations, surgeries and recovery periods. The associated medical bills were prohibitively high and the result was that most edentulous (toothless) and near-edentulous patients opted for that archaic tooth replacement technology; removable dentures. The problem with this is that false teeth, as they are colloquially known, are not only inferior in function and aesthetics to dental implants, they are actually damaging to a patient’s health, well-being and overall quality of life.

It was only in 1993, when All on Four implants were innovated by European implantologist Dr. Paulo Malo, that many of the challenges and obstacles facing traditional dental implant techniques could be overcome. Nowadays, a new set of beautiful, non-removable and immediately functional teeth are possible with the breakthrough All on Four implants protocol. In this four-part article series, we shall be taking an in-depth exploration of this surgical protocol and why patients who are edentulous, or who are facing an immediate future of edentulism should consider All on Four implants as their tooth replacement solution. But first, let’s take a look at All on Four implants… what are they?

What is the All on Four Protocol?

The All on Four protocol, or All-on-4, is a surgical technique that governs the placement of dental implants in a patient’s mouth. It is generally recommended for edentulous and near-edentulous patients who have lost most, if not all of their teeth to periodontal (gum) disease. These are the patients who would formerly be considered candidates for removable dentures. All on Four implants, as the name suggests, involves the permanent attachment of a fully customized prosthetic dental bridge to the abutments of four dental implants per jaw.

These implants are inserted at very precise locations in the mouth (and at very precise angles too) in order to reap maximum support for the bridge without the need for bone grafting surgery first. This additional surgery is frequently required for patients who have lived without teeth and/or dentures for many years. The ability of All on Four implants to almost always avoid the need for bone grafting surgery is perhaps one of its greatest advantages it boasts over traditional dental implant protocols. And this is because:

• All on Four implants allows skilled and experienced oral surgeons to provide patients with a new set of teeth in as little as a single day, with a single surgery, and
• All on Four implants substantially reduces the cost of oral rehabilitation by an average amount of $25,000!

All on Four Implants and Removable Dentures: What’s the Difference?

Any dentist or dental healthcare professional worth their salt will tell you that dental implants offer a much more comprehensive and long term solution to missing teeth than removable dentures. The latter comes with a whole host of challenges and repeated expenses that, at the end of the day, can severely compromise a patient’s quality of life. In fact, research has shown that the patients who have been wearing dentures for 15 years can only bite down with a force of six pounds per square inch. That’s 97% of one’s natural bite force lost!

The ramifications of this are debilitating and serious: most patients end up eating without their dentures because it’s more comfortable for them. Malnutrition is an associated problem. The difference between All on Four implants and dentures is the difference between being happy, healthy and confident and being miserable, challenged and uncomfortable. And when you consider that long-time denture wearers generally live 10 years shorter than those with healthy teeth, this is no exaggeration!

All on Four Implants: Stay Tuned

To find out what the key differences between All on Four implants and removable dentures are, stay tuned for the second installment of this four-part article series.

Breakthrough All-on-4 Dental Implant Technique Saving Smiles

This article explores one of the biggest problems associated with traditional tooth replacement technologies, namely, removable dentures: they do not prevent bone loss in the jaw. We then explain how All-on-4 dental implants bypass this problem.

The All-on-4 dental implant technique is an innovation in the field of implant dentistry and fixed oral rehabilitation. And just one of the reasons for this is that it enables patients who are either already edentulous (don’t have a single original adult tooth left) or are facing an immediate future of edentulism to have a brand new set of non-removable teeth placed in as little as a single day! The All-on-4 surgical protocol was designed in the early 1990’s by European implantologist Dr. Paulo Malo and has since gone on to successfully treat tens of thousands of edentulous and near-edentulous patients in the United States alone. If you have long suffered the crippling challenges and endless costs associated with wearing false teeth, or removable dentures, then perhaps it’s time you considered a more sophisticated tooth replacement technology. The All-on-4 in Houston offers just that: a brand new set of teeth that look, function and feel just like natural teeth!



All-on-4 Dental Implant Protocol: About Periodontal (Gum) Disease

The All-on-4 surgical protocol for the placement of dental implants is a real step above traditional tooth replacement technologies because it makes candidates out of patients that present with advanced periodontal (gum) disease. Periodontal disease is an acute bacterial infection of the soft tissues surrounding the teeth, explains the All-on-4 dentist. Without timely professional intervention, the harmful bacteria migrate deep down into the spaces between the tooth roots and the gum walls, creating deep pockets of toxin that are impossible for the patient to clean. Over time, tooth decay and bacterial infection cause tooth loss, which, if left without replacement, results in atrophy of the supporting hard tissue: the jaw bone. This may sound like a problem only a minority of the population suffers from, but did you know that a staggering 80% of all Americans present with some stage of gum infection or disease?

According to the dental professionals that perform the All-on-4 in Houston, one of the many problems with gum disease is that it doesn’t necessarily cause any painful symptoms, which makes it easy for the sufferer to ignore for years. This is especially true for those that harbor a fear of the dentist. In the early stages of periodontal disease, symptoms such as bleeding gums when brushing, bad breath, mild tooth discoloration and gum inflammation can quite easily be ignored. Consequently, say All-on-4 dentists, by the time a patient desperately requires professional intervention, the damage done to the teeth and jaw bone is irreversible!



All-on-4 in Houston and Traditional Dental Implant Protocols

All right, so the All-on-4 in Houston offers a fantastic comprehensive solution to edentulism and near-edentulism, even for patients presenting with advanced periodontal disease. But how does the breakthrough All-on-4 technique differ from the traditional protocols for the placement of dental implants? Perhaps the greatest and most significant difference between the All-on-4 in Houston and older surgical protocols is that the latter almost always requires bone grafting surgery before the jaw bone is able to support dental implants. As a result of jaw bone remodeling and the loss of bone volume caused by atrophy, this preliminary procedure becomes a necessary step in a patient’s journey to oral rehabilitation, explain All-on-4 dentists.

The problem with bone grafting is that it is an invasive and therefore, painful procedure that is expensive and requires months of healing before the jaw bone is strong enough to support dental implants. The All-on-4 in Houston almost always avoids the need for bone grafting surgery through the very unique positioning and precise angulation of only four dental implants in the mouth. The All-on-4 dentist then uses the abutments of these four dental implants (hence the name of the procedure) to support a fully customized prosthetic dental bridge. Without the need for bone grafting, the entire All-on-4 procedure can be completed in as little as a single day, with a single surgery!



The All-on-4 in Houston: In Conclusion

It is thanks to the unprecedented treatment time and the fantastic solutions provided by All-on-4 dental implants that this tooth replacement protocol has earned its ‘breakthrough’ reputation. Dentures no longer have to be the future of people that have lost most, if not all of their teeth over the years. Say ‘hello’ to a much better quality of life with the All-on-4 in Houston!

Denture-wearer? Here’s How All on Four Implants in Houston Could Change Your Life! PART 3

This three-part article series discusses the key differences between All on 4 dental implants and removable dentures and how these differences can really change a patient’s life and quality thereof.

Welcome to the final installment of our article series on All on Four implants in Houston! In our introductory article, we took a detailed look at what All on Four implants in Houston are and how this breakthrough surgical protocol works. In our second installment, we discussed the bite function benefits and advantages of dental implants over removable dentures. Now, in the final part of the series, we shall take a look at how All on Four implants in Houston compare with dentures as far as oral comfort, convenience and smile aesthetics are concerned.

All on Four Implants in Houston Vs. Removable Dentures: Oral Comfort and Convenience

Removable dentures cause all sorts of problems for patients:

• Their bulkiness can trigger the gag reflex in more sensitive patients.
• They impede one’s ability to taste their food properly.
• They harbor food and bacteria causing bad breath.
• They need to be removed after meals for cleaning and at nighttime.
• They press down uncomfortable on the gums causing pain while eating.
• They slip around and can even fall out if they don’t fit snugly.
• They require patients to repeatedly spend money on adhesive strips to prevent slippage.
• Dentures require refitting every few years or so because of the loss of hard tissue volume in the jaw (caused by tooth loss.)

All on Four implants in Houston are used to support a fully customized and non-removable prosthetic dental bridge in the mouth. Because this bridge reaps all the support it needs to remain permanently ‘anchored,’ its construction is much slimmer and far less bulky. Consequently:

• All on Four implants in Houston do not trigger the gag reflex.
• They do not impeded one’s ability to taste their food properly, which makes meal times far more enjoyable!
• All on Four implants in Houston support a bridge that sits tightly against the gums, so it cannot harbor food and bacteria. This promotes a greater standard of oral hygiene.
• The bridge is non-removable and cleaned just like natural teeth; with regular and thorough brushing and flossing.
• All on Four implants in Houston do not cause any oral pain or discomfort.
• The bridge affixed to All on Four implants in Houston cannot move around or fall out.
• All on Four implants in Houston last decades before restoration or replacement becomes necessary.

All on Four Implants in Houston Vs. Removable Dentures: Smile Aesthetics

Removable dentures rely upon their bulk to prevent them from slipping around in the patient’s mouth. As a result:

• They push against the lips from the inside, making them look thin and stretched.
• They cause unnatural smile aesthetics.
• Dentures do not keep the underlying jaw bone alive and stimulated. The resultant steady loss of jaw bone tissue causes that aged and sunken oral appearance we typically associate with the elderly.

All on Four implants in Houston, on the other hand, support a very slim and far more natural-looking bridge, which:

• Doesn’t push against the lips from inside the mouth, making them appear old and stretched.
• Is fabricated from high quality and durable materials to be virtually indistinguishable in aesthetics from a full set of natural, healthy teeth.
• All on Four implants in Houston support a healthy jaw bone, which prevents atrophy from affecting a patient’s natural youthful facial contours in the long term.

All on Four Implants in Houston: The Natural Choice

When it comes to your quality of life and smile confidence, nothing can beat the benefits and advantages offered by All on Four implants in Houston. Make that investment in the future of your oral health, comfort, bite functionality and smile aesthetics today and you will enjoy the benefits for a lifetime.

Denture-wearer? Here’s How All on 4 Implants Could Change Your Life! PART 2

This three-part article series discusses the key differences between All on 4 dental implants and removable dentures and how these differences can really change a patient’s life and quality thereof.

In our previous article post, we described what All on 4 implants are and how they work to provide a fixed and non-removable tooth replacement solution to those patients that are either already wearing dentures, or are facing an immediate future of edentulism (not having a single original adult tooth left.) In this article, the second installment of a three-part series on the benefits of All on 4 implants, we shall begin to take a look at how this breakthrough surgical protocol could change your life if you’re in desperate need of new teeth.

Removable Dentures: Not Cutting it Anymore!

Prior to the innovation of dental implant protocols (such as All on 4 implants) designed to treat patients presenting with multiple and comprehensive tooth loss, the most popular approach to teeth replacement was dentures. Removable dentures look like a complete set of teeth and the plastic gums that they are mounting into are designed and shaped to fit neatly over the soft tissue-covered jaw bone ridge in the upper and lower jaw. Dentures rely on their bulkiness to prevent them from slipping around and falling out. But over the years, the steady loss of jaw bone tissue caused by the missing teeth result in dentures that fit less and less. Greater slipping causes trauma to the gums as well as general oral discomfort. There is a whole host of problems associated with removable dentures. Let’s explore these in a systematic way and then compare them to the solutions provided by All on 4 implants.

All on 4 Implants Vs. Removable Dentures: Bite Functionality

Dentures rest upon the jaw bone ridge and consequently transmit all the forces associated with eating directly to the underlying gums. This:

• Limits a patient’s bite force.
• Causes irritation and inflammation of the gums, as well as the development of sores that aren’t given a chance to heal.
• Restricts the kinds of foods patients can comfortably enjoy.
• Necessitates a repeated investment in anesthetic gels to numb the pain caused by eating with dentures.
• Can lead to malnutrition, especially in the elderly.

All on 4 implants are supported directly by the jaw bone, like natural teeth. As a result, they transmit all the forces associated with eating into this hard tissue and not to the delicate and vulnerable underlying gums. So:

• All on 4 implants enable patients to bite down with a much stronger force.
• They allow patients to comfortably eat all the foods they love without compromise.
• All on 4 implants do not apply any pressure to the underlying gums and therefore do not cause any irritation, inflammation or pain.
• They do not require patients to constantly buy anesthetic gels to numb the pain associated with eating.
• All on 4 implants enable patients to eat a much healthier and more balanced diet.

Stay Tuned for More on All on 4 Implants

To read more about how All on 4 implants can totally revolutionize your quality of life, stay tuned for the third and final installment of this informative article series.

Denture-wearer? Here’s How All on Four Dental Implants Could Change Your Life! PART 1

This three-part article series discusses the key differences between All on 4 dental implants and removable dentures and how these differences can really change a patient’s life and quality thereof.

Have you lost most or all of your teeth? Do you currently wear or are facing an immediate future of needing dentures, or false teeth? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then listen up. You do not need to resign the rest of your life to the challenges and repeated expenses associated with this inferior and uncomfortable tooth replacement technology. All on Four dental implants are the solution to edentulism (not having a single original adult tooth left) and near-edentulism recommended by implant dentists around the world. In this three-part article series we shall be exploring the many benefits and advantages of All on Four dental implants over removable dentures. We shall also be explaining how these key differences will totally revolutionize your quality of life and smile confidence!

All on Four Dental Implants: A Definition

Before you can fully appreciate the difference between removable dentures and All on Four dental implants, you need to understand what the latter essentially are! The ‘All on Four’ is a surgical protocol or method for the placement of dental implants. It involves the insertion of – as the name suggests – four dental implants in regions of the jaw that naturally contain a greater volume of atrophy resistant bone tissue. This enables implant dentists to provide even those patients that suffer from advanced jaw bone atrophy and volume loss with a fixed and non-removable tooth replacement solution. These are the patients that have been told in the past, as a result of jaw bone loss, that they are not candidates for dental implant procedures.

Once the four implants have been placed (two in the region of the second and third molars, two near the front of the mouth – see image above), the dentist will affix a non-removable prosthetic dental bridge to the abutments of the implants. This prosthesis is expertly fabricated from molds and X-rays taken of your teeth and jaw during a prior consultation. Its construction from high quality and durable materials enable patients to use their new teeth just as they would their original natural teeth; before they went missing of course! One of the greatest things about All on Four dental implants is that the entire procedure can be completed in as little as a single surgery of a few hours only. So, essentially, All on Four dental implants enable edentulous and near-edentulous patients to get a full set of beautiful, immediately functional and non-removable teeth in one day. And this is a feat that goes without precedent in implant dentistry.

All on Four Dental Implants: Stay Tuned!

All on Four dental implants have drastically changed the way modern dentists approach the treatment of edentulous and near-edentulous patients; in particular those that suffer from advanced periodontitis, or gum disease. Now that you have a better understanding of what All on Four dental implants are, we shall spend the next two articles exploring all the benefits and advantages of this sophisticated tooth replacement protocol over the antiquated solutions provided by removable dentures.

Want to Avoid Tooth Loss, Says the Dental Implant Surgeon in Houston? 19 Habits To Stop, PART 4

This four-part article series discusses 19 habits that, through various mechanisms (both short and long term) lead to the degradation of the health of your teeth, gums and jaw bone.

Welcome to the final installment of this four-part article series on the top 19 habits to stop if you want to avoid ever needing Houston dental implants as a result of tooth decay and subsequent loss. In our previous three posts, the dental implant surgeon in Houston discussed the following 13 points:

1. Chewing on ice,
2. Tongue and lip piercings,
3. Playing sports without a mouth guard,
4. Giving babies bedtime bottles
5. Teeth grinding,
6. Regularly sucking on cough drops,
7. Chewing on gummy candy,
8. Sipping on soft drinks,
9. Using your teeth as tools,
10. Drinking sports and energy drinks,
11. Regularly drinking fruit juices,
12. Indulging in potato chips,
13. Constant snacking.

In this, the final installment of the series, we shall explore the final 6 habits to avoid if you want to (1) keep your teeth in excellent lifelong condition and (2) avoid ever needing Houston dental implants.

Dental Implant Surgeon in Houston: Habit to Avoid # 14 ~ Chewing on Pencils

Just as the dental implant surgeon in Houston warns you against chewing on ice, so too should you avoid munching on the end of your pencil. Chronic habits like this can do substantial damage to the dental enamel, rendering the tooth more vulnerable to bacteria, decay and infection and possibly even the need for replacement with a Houston dental implant.

Recommendation: If you have the urge to chew, opt for sugarless gum, advises the dental implant surgeon in Houston: it tastes better!

Dental Implant Surgeon in Houston: Habit to Avoid # 15 ~ Coffee Addiction

There’s nothing wrong with the occasional cup of coffee, says the dental implant surgeon in Houston, but drinking multiple cups every day can contribute to severe staining of the dental enamel. Coffee is heavy in acid and dark tannins, which can render your pearly whites a less attractive shade of yellow.

Recommendations: There are a number of things you can do to prevent dental staining from coffee-drinking, says the dental implant surgeon in Houston. (1) Chase sips of coffee with water, (2) add milk to your coffee to lessen its staining effect and (3) limit the amount of coffee you drink every day. If your teeth are already quite stained from your five-a-day habit, then ask your dentist about the various whitening methods they have, suggests the dental implant surgeon in Houston.

Dental Implant Surgeon in Houston: Habit to Avoid # 16 ~ Smoking

There is no greater death sentence to your teeth than smoking, warns the dental implant surgeon in Houston. Smoking causes dental staining, bad breath, inflamed gums, oral cancer and periodontal (gum) disease, the latter two of which leads to tooth loss and the need for Houston dental implants. Ironically, however, smoking also compromises the success of implant procedures, so you may not even be able to replace the teeth that have gone missing as a result of your lifelong habit!

Recommendations: Break free of this crippling habit and you can save your teeth, your smile and your life, urges the dental implant surgeon in Houston.

Dental Implant Surgeon in Houston n: Habit to Avoid # 17 ~ Drinking Red Wine

One glass of red wine with dinner is actually very good for you, says the dental implant surgeon in Houston. But frequent exposure to the acids that are naturally found in wine can result in the erosion of your dental enamel, creating rough spots on the tooth crowns that render them more susceptible to staining. Red wine, in particular, is full of tannins and a dark pigment called chromogens. These are responsible for that comical purple smile you have after a glass or two.

Recommendation: Everything in moderation. And pair your wine with water.

Dental Implant Surgeon in Houston: Habit to Avoid # 18 ~ Drinking White Wine

Unfortunately, white wine isn’t that much better either. The high acidic content of this beverage still leave the enamel weakened and more vulnerable to staining from other dark-colored foods and drinks, such as your post-dinner coffee.

Recommendation: As with red wine, says the dental implant surgeon in Houston, pair your white wine with water. You can also invest in dental whitening toothpaste, which contains low concentrations of bleaching agent. This will combat the accumulation of staining from red and white wine.

Dental Implant Surgeon in Houston: Habit to Avoid # 19 ~ Binge Eating

Eating disorders not only wreak havoc upon the body, they do irreparable damage to your teeth as well, says the dental implant surgeon in Houston. Many people who had eating disorders in their teens have ended up requiring Houston dental implants to replace teeth that were lost as a result of malnutrition and tooth decay from constant acid exposure (in the case of bulimics). Binge eating is no better as one tends to indulge in foods that are high in sugar, such as sweets.

Recommendation: Seek immediate professional help from a general doctor and a psychologist. Eating disorders are terribly destructive and can do lifelong damage to your body and youthful smile.

A Final Note on Houston Dental Implants

Houston dental implants offer the most comprehensive and long term solution to single and multiple missing teeth. Yet, in spite of their sophistication as a dental technology, they simply cannot rival the aesthetics and functionality of your own natural teeth. Follow the advice laid out in this four part article series, says the dental implant surgeon in Houston, and you’ll keep your teeth beautiful and healthy for life!