We have a tendency to sing the praises of All-on-4 implant dentures. That’s because they’re an amazing technology that has many benefits, including their attractiveness, their durability, and their high functionality. However, we don’t want to give too many false hopes about the restorations. It’s important to have reasonable expectations for your All-on-4 procedure.
Here are some important things to keep in mind as you’re considering All-on-4 implant dentures.
Not Everyone Is a Candidate
All-on-4 implant dentures allow more people to get implant dentures than traditional implant approaches. But that doesn’t mean that everyone is a candidate. Although the innovative engineering of All-on-4 allows the procedure to be performed with less bone than other approaches, it is still possible that you won’t have enough bone for All-on-4. This may mean that we might recommend a bone graft, or, in some cases, recommend against the procedure altogether.
It May Take Time to Adjust
All-on-4 implant dentures are very similar to your natural teeth, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll immediately feel natural. Dental implants aren’t exactly natural teeth, and you may notice the difference at first.
It may even take time to get used to speaking or chewing with them. This is especially true if you’ve had failing teeth or have been wearing dentures for a while. But once you get used to them, All-on-4 implant dentures will function just like your natural teeth. You may even forget that they’re not your natural teeth.
Rarely, Dental Implants May Fail
Dental implants have a very high success rate. More than 95% of implants succeed and are still in place more than a decade after placement. This is as true for All-on-4 implant dentures as for other implant approaches.
But that means that about five percent of dental implants fail. And if they do fail, it’s most likely to happen in the first year or so after placement, which can seem like a major blow when you’ve been imagining your implants will last a lifetime.
The good news is that most of the time, if your implants fail, we can try again, though a healing period may be necessary.
Repairs and Adjustments May Be Necessary
Experience with implant dentures has shown that, yes, they can last a lifetime (or, at least more than 30 years and counting). But even if they do last, it’s normal for minor repairs and adjustments to be required. On average, repairs and adjustments are required every 7-9 years.
All-on-4 Is a Great Experience
Ideally, we would all keep our teeth for life. But if you lose your teeth, All-on-4 implant dentures are a great option to replace them. You will be as happy with them as you have been with your natural teeth. Happier, even, if your natural teeth have been causing you problems for a long time.
To discuss the benefits and limitations of All-on-4 implant dentures in Westchester County, please contact us today for an appointment with an implant dentist at Advanced Dentistry of Mohegan Lake.
