All On 4 Dental Implants: A Successful Denture Restoration

There are several adverse effects that edentulism poses on those patients suffering from tooth loss. These issues are physical, affecting speech, chewing, and overall oral health. They can also be psychological, affecting self-esteem, social confidence, and overall quality of life.

With over 35 million people affected by edentulism in at least one arch, seeking solutions that improve the oral health of these individuals has been at the forefront of dental technology advancements over the last decade.

With a consistent foot in the door, we at Burbank Dental Lab have held on and approached every digital and technical progress in the most professional way possible. For over a decade, All On 4 Hybrid Implants have shaped how the dental industry treats many patients suffering from tooth loss.

Edentulous patients will usually present with bone loss in either the upper or lower jaw or both. These patients can be treated with conventional dentures, fixed implant-supported bridges, or an implant-supported removable. Placing implants in these cases may be difficult because of inadequate bone structure and possible nerves and other anatomical challenges. These difficulties are what led to the development of the All On 4 concept.

All On 4 allows for the placement of four to six implants per arch. Two implants are placed vertically in the anterior region, and two are placed at an angle in the posterior. Through this technique, the ability to maximize the existing bone and bypass the need for procedures such as nerve repositioning, bone grafts, or bone regeneration is much improved.

In addition, the benefits of the All On 4 process are as follows:

• Easy to clean
• Immediate function
• Improved biomechanics
• No need for a bone graft
• Less complex surgery
• Excellent treatment option when the cost is an issue
• A well-documented success rate

Patient Protocol

The All On 4 dental implant treatment modality has enough clinical data to support this type of restoration in the treatment of edentulous patients. It is vital to select those patients who will benefit the most and assess if they would make suitable candidates for this procedure.

Typically patients who smoke, take certain medications, or have other medical issues have a higher chance of experiencing implant failures. Therefore, the selection of patients is critical in ensuring case success. A full exam, including x-rays and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), is essential in adequately evaluating whether or not this type of restorative option is right for a particular patient.

Once a diagnosis is made to treat a patient using the All On 4 technique, there are several restorative options available to provide the ideal treatment to meet a particular patient’s needs. These options are all used here at Burbank Dental Lab to ensure that each patient receives the correct hybrid restoration.

Other Implant Restorative Options Available:

1. Acrylic with Titanium substructure

This option utilizes a precision-milled titanium frame to accommodate the placement of the implant, followed by the use of acrylic and denture teeth to provide both functionality and aesthetics.

The benefits of a titanium acrylic hybrid are as follows:

• Impact forces are reduced and not transferred to implants
• Easy to repair
• Easy to clean and polish
• A cost-effective option for those patients needing a less expensive option
• Acrylic teeth are kind to opposing dentition

This option is designed with a milled cobalt-chromium (CO/CR) frame and milled composite restorations.

The benefits of this type of hybrid are as follows:

• Compressive strength of 480mpa
• Easy to polish
• Light material
• Easy to repair intraorally
• Wears the same as natural dentition
• Composite density prohibits the absorption of fluids and odors

One of the most durable options is the ZIRMAX Hybrid. These restorations have a flexural strength of 1200 MPa. They are ideal for cases where the occlusal load is a significant consideration in material selection.

The benefits of this option include the following:

• The strongest all-ceramic material
• Excellent esthetic option
• Feels like natural teeth
• Resists fracturing

This option requires the least amount of vertical opening. It consists of a metal frame with a porcelain layered build-up, making it the most aesthetically pleasing option.

Porcelain fused to metal has several advantages, which include:

• Well documented longevity
• Extremely versatile
• Highly customizable

The restorative choices available offer unique options to fit any given situation. There are clear reasons to prescribe one option over the other, and it depends on the conditions presented by each case.

The implant team at Burbank Dental Lab has been a part of the fabrication of thousands of these types of cases and is available to evaluate which options would work best to fit the needs of the patient.

Click the chat icon below, and let our support team at Burbank Dental Lab help you with your next implant-supported fixed prosthesis.