All-on-4 Dental Implants

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Removable dentures are a common choice for patients who are missing all of their teeth. But they rely on suction and messy adhesives to stay in place and can easily slip, click, or smack while you are eating or speaking. If you are tired of struggling with removable dentures, it may be time to consider implant-supported dentures at our Austin practice.

In some cases, we may be able to convert your existing denture into a more stable, natural-looking, and more functional implant-supported restoration.

At 38^th Street Dental, we want to provide the most convenient, effective, and efficient care possible. Therefore, we proudly offer the All-on-4® method of full arch restoration at our Austin, TX, practice. With this technique, your surgeon will place four small dental implant posts in your jaw. Then Dr. C. Mike Meek or Dr. David J. Tasch can attach a custom-designed denture at the same appointment. Like other types of implant-supported dentures, your All-on-4® restoration will never slip out of place. It will be permanently affixed to the implants to provide you with all the confidence in the world to laugh loudly, chew firmly, and enjoy life with a vibrant, lifelike smile. 

In contrast to traditional full arch treatments like dentures, All-on-4® helps preserve your jawbone and provide a fast solution for people with multiple broken or infected teeth. This is a full mouth solution that can be accomplished in one appointment. One appointment! 

How Do All-on-4® Dentures Work?

To provide All-on-4® dental implants, Dr. Meek or Dr. Tasch will refer you to a specialist surgeon. For your convenience, you will often visit the practitioner located right next door. The surgeon will position the implants in your jaw, working with x-rays and computerized tomography (CT) scans for precise results. All-on-4® implant posts are much smaller than traditional implants. Thus, they will involve less impact to the healthy parts of your jaw. In addition, your surgeon will place them at a slight angle. In this way, he or she can make the most of your remaining bone tissue.

Because All-on-4® involves less impact to your jaw, this method can often eliminate the need for preparatory bone grafting.

Once the implants are in place, Dr. Meek or Dr. Tasch will attach a full arch of teeth to the dental implants. Although temporary, it will still be extremely stable and natural-looking. While you are wearing the short-term prosthetic, that looks fantastic and doesn't come out or move, your jawbone will heal around the implants, a process that will take about four to six months. After you have fully recovered, we will then fabricate your final and more beautiful prosthesis and replace the first restoration placed the day of placement surgery. None of these appointments require any use of local anesthetic or dental drills that can make you uncomfortable or nervous. Made from the latest materials, your All-on-4® smile will also match the overall proportions and contours of your face because each one is custom fabricated to meet the desires of each patient. 

Are You a Candidate for All-on-4®?

To qualify for implants, you will need a certain amount of jawbone density. Unfortunately, tooth loss can lead to bone loss, which will compromise your candidacy for treatment. However, because All-on-4® involves less impact to your jaw, this method can often eliminate the need for preparatory bone grafting. Nevertheless, your dentist will need to take x-rays and digital scans to determine your candidacy for treatment. He will also consider your overall oral and physical health. 

Do I have to come back to the dentist once my All on 4 full arch restoration is completed?

When patients talk with us about full arch solutions, they routinely talk about how they, “once and for all want to be done with teeth!”  As dentists, we smile and very considerately begin to offer solutions ranging from dentures to the exciting world of full arch teeth replacement with dental implants.  What’s funny is that both paths require ongoing maintenance.  

Yes, that’s right, you have to keep coming to the dentist!  The best analogy would be a car, a home, or any other performance related machine you have in your life.  Cars require oil changes, lubrication, tires and brakes.  A simple conventional denture requires relines and new teeth periodically for optimal performance.  A full arch restoration like the acrylic or zirconia All-on-4 arch has to have a little maintenance along the way also.  It is this bit of little talked about detail that is important to know as you consider restoration of your smile.

How often or why do full arch restorations need to removed?

To remove or not remove the bridge or arch is what the routine maintenance question boils down to when reviewing our professions recommendations.  Historically, there have been calls for removal four times a year, once a year, once every two years and on and on.  As evidence has accumulated, it has become clear that tissues that are in good condition and enjoying great oral hygiene with no plaque accumulation don’t need the full arch restoration to be removed for preventive maintenance.

In fact, in 2016, the American College of Prosthodontists published a consensus statement that said, “Removal of a fixed, screw-retained implant prosthesis for evaluation is not needed unless there are signs of peri-implantitis, a demonstrated inability to maintain adequate oral hygiene, or there are mechanical complications that require removal.1”

So this statement basically divides patients into two cohorts.  The first is the “no problems” group.  Oral hygiene compliance and care support the health of the implants. and restoration to the point that annual exam with an peri-apical X-ray picture of each implant and dental prophylaxis with our hygienists is all that is needed.  The appliance is cleaned in place and without removal. 

Patients in this category will come annually for maintenance.  Their visit will include a clinical examination, a review of the patient’s occlusion and the tissue health around the prosthetic, implants and abutments. If all appear healthy, the “routine cleaning” will proceed using titanium scalers, ultrasonics, an air polisher with glycine powder, or rubber cup with a fine-grit polishing paste.  This service is not included in the cost of your initial treatment but should be expected as the ongoing oversight of your dentist is essential to long term success.

If we find that your situation includes inflammation, bleeding gum tissue, overgrowth of tartar or dental calculus, removal of the full arch All-on-4 restoration will be required and a more frequent hygiene recall interval will be prescribed. 

Costs of All-On-4 Full Arch Hybrid Maintenance

You will need to attend a routine care appointment each year no different than someone with a healthy natural dentition.  The recall examination will specific for your implant case and will include observation and characterization of the tissues around your implants.  X-Ray pictures of each implant will be taken annually and one radiograph is needed for each implant.  A minimum of four radiographs are necessary for each arch.  Finally, the dental prophylaxis will be completed to include polishing of the teeth and acrylic or zirconia of the super structure.
2021 Pricing:

• Recall Examination $64
• 4 Peri-apical Radiographs $120
• Routine Prophylaxis $115

Should your appliance require removal due to disease consideration, there is an additional fee of $450.  This fee is necessitated by the complex nature of the full arch retention system.   An additional charge for the new abutment screws needed to replace the “stretched” screws removed for servicing the appliance or tissues beneath.  The new abutment screws are needed to maintain the precision levels of torque necessary to make the full arch restoration perform without exception.

Contact Us to Schedule a Consultation

All-on-4® dental implants can improve your dental health and your overall quality of life. To find out if you are a candidate for All-on-4® treatment during a dental implants consultation, contact 38^th Street Dental in Austin today.