Page 28 - Boyne Dental E-Mag

All on 4 titanium bond BEFORE Implants AFTER Implants

“Teeth in a day” or All-On-4 refers to “all” teeth being supported “on four” dental implants,
a prosthodontics (dental prosthetics or prosthetic dentistry) procedure for total rehabilitation of
the edentulous patient (the condition of being toothless as a result of tooth loss) or for patients
with badly broken down teeth, decayed teeth or compromised teeth due to gum disease. It con-
sists of the rehabilitation of either edentulous or dentate maxilla (upper jawbone) and/or mandible
(lower jawbone) with fixed prosthesis by placing four implants in the anterior maxilla, where bone
density is higher. The four implants support a fixed prosthesis with 10 to 14 teeth and it is placed
immediately, typically within 24 hours of surgery.

Dental Implant is a surgical component that interfaces with the bone of the jaw or skull to support
a dental prosthesis such as a crown, bridge, denture, facial prosthesis or to act as an orthodontic
anchor. The basis for modern dental implants is a biologic process in which materials such
as titanium form an intimate bond to bone. The implant fixture is first placed, then a dental pros-
thetic is added. A variable amount of healing time is required before the dental prosthetic (a tooth,
bridge or denture) is attached to the implant.

Implant manufacturer Nobel Biocare were among the first to identify the evolution of All-on-4
(teeth in a day) technique as a potential valid and cost-effective alternative to conventional im-
plant techniques, and funded studies by Portuguese dentist Paulo Malo to determine the efficacy
of this approach. During this time this technique was also used by various other clinicians around
the world.

The “Teeth in a day” treatment concept is a prosthodontics procedure that provides a permanent,
screw-retained, same-day replacement for the entire upper and / or lower set of teeth with a bridge
or denture. The procedure is best for patients with significant tooth loss or decay and for people
whose bone loss in the jaw area prevents them from getting conventionally oriented (vertical) den-
tal implants. Often, tooth loss is accompanied by loss of the jaw bone which poses the problem of
reconstruction of the jaw bone requiring bone grafting.

An implant supported bridge (or fixed denture) is a group of teeth secured to dental implants so the
prosthetic cannot be removed by the user. Bridges typically connect to more than one implant and
may also connect to teeth as anchor points. A fixed bridge may replace as few as two teeth (also
known as a fixed partial denture) and may extend to replace an entire arch of teeth (also known as
a fixed full denture). In both cases, the prosthesis is said to be fixed because it cannot be removed
by the denture wearer. A removable implant supported denture is a type of dental prosthesis which
is not permanently fixed in place. The dental prosthesis can be disconnected with finger pressure
by the wearer.