Is All-on-4 an Invasive Surgery?

You might be considering different restorative dentistry options, including All-on-4® dental implants for your missing teeth. there are so many optoins out there that it can be incredibly difficult to know which solution is right for you. However, it’s important to know what type of procedure you’re opting for before making your decision. For some people, the thought of having invasive surgery is difficult to swallow and may lead them to make a different decision. There are many different choices when it comes to dental restoration, so it’s important that you make the right one for you. Your dentist can help narrow down this decision. 

To help you make the right decision, we will discuss All-on-4 implants in this post and whether getting the implants requires invasive surgery. We’ll discuss exactly what the implants are, how the process works, and what to expect when you get them installed. We hope this gives you all the information you need to decide if dental implants are the tooth restoration procedure you want to use to get your smile back. 

What are dental implants?

You may consider dental implants as an option for you.There are many types of dental implants and many options for how they are installed, but the general answer is that a dental implant is a permanent prosthetic tooth installed into your mouth. They are designed to be anchored into the mouth and shaped to look and function like natural teeth. 

The two primary benefits of dental implants are that they are permanent, meaning they don’t have to be changed out or repaired once installed, and second, they are considered much more durable than natural teeth, meaning that they offer a better quality of life than other dental applications like bridges and dentures. They also require no additional adhesive or special treatment to be used. 

Do implants require invasive surgery?

The answer is yes. Regardless of which type of implants a patient chooses, surgery will be required to install the implants. The difference between most other implants and All-on-4 implants is that traditional implants may require multiple surgeries to restore an entire mouth of teeth. With the 4-implant system, it is possible to restore an entire mouth of teeth in only one surgical visit. 

The surgery itself requires local anesthesia and drilling into the gum and jawbone to install the implants. While this is considered invasive, compared to traditional implants, where each implant is a separate surgery, the four systems are done all at once in one surgery with only four major insertion points. This means it is much less invasive, requires less recovery time, and has fewer aftereffects compared to typical implants. 

How does the process work?

The surgery process for the 4-implant system is simple and straightforward. First, your dentist will examine to see if you are a candidate for the implants. This involves checking to make sure that your jawbone can support the implants. Compared to other implants, it takes much less bone to support the four systems, meaning more people are eligible for these implants than for other types of implants. 

The surgery involves the dentist installing four titanium implant posts into the upper and lower jawbone. The posts act as the anchor for a denture that is placed on top. The denture is then attached to the posts and forms a solid hold that won’t wiggle or move and doesn’t require adhesive. Once the implants and dentures are in place, the surgery is complete, and patients can go home. The entire process takes only a few hours and should heal within a few days to a few weeks depending on the individual. 

Patients can expect minimal side effects from the surgery, some pain, inflammation, swelling, and bruising, all of which can be managed by pain medication provided by the dentist, and some slight bleeding at the sight of the implants that should be kept clean with gauze. Once completely healed, the implants are ready to be used just like natural teeth and should be kept clean just like natural teeth as well. 

Talk to your dentist today

Now that you know just how invasive the four systems of implants are, you can make the decision, along with your dentist, about which tooth restoration option is right for you. We hope that this system has many benefits over traditional implants will help make your choice easier if you opt for dental implants as your tooth loss solution. 

Request an appointment here: https://www.desertsundental.com or call Desert Sun Dental at (509) 785-6491 for an appointment in our Quincy office.

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