All-on-4 vs Full-Arch Teeth Replacement

Dental surgery can be daunting for patients when deciding on the most appropriate treatment. Many options exist, but people are unclear about what route to take.

Full-Arch and all-on-4 implants are the most common treatment options for dental implants. There are some commonalities between both options. Let’s look at some of the benefits that may sway your decision.

What are All on 4 Dental Implants?

Developed by Professor Paulo Malo during the 1990s, All-on-4 is a popular treatment option for those missing teeth, damaged teeth and needing dental implants. The surgery involves inserting four titanium screws into the upper, lower, or jaw, accompanied by a non-removable bridge supporting the screws.

A common trait of the procedure is that the implants are placed at a 45-degree angle, reducing the need for a bone graft if they lack the appropriate amount of jawbone needed for the surgery. While this isn’t ideal for patients, a bone graft will help long-term by having the correct structure for the All-on-4 implants.

Expression of interest for this surgery is subject to a few health factors that may impact whether you’re eligible for this procedure.

Advantages of All-on-4 Surgery

There are many advantages of going for All-On-4 surgery with Aria Dental. The most common include:

  • All-on-4 Turnaround Time: The All-on-4 procedure is quick, typically taking 3 days but can be carried out on the same day. However, these implant treatments can take more time and may require intermittent visits across the year to complete your surgery.
  • All-on-4 Replacement Teeth Look Real: Implants are placed by our head prosthodontist Dr Michael Zaninovich and mirror the look and feel of natural teeth.
  • All-on-4 is a More Economical Option: With different implant techniques on the market that require procedures such as bone grafting (if you don’t have enough bone in your mouth) or inserting more than 4 implants, All-On-4 removes the need for this by reducing what’s required to obtain dental implants.
  • High Success Rate With All-on-4: With countless procedures performed year-round, there are few cases of failure. At Aria Dental, we have a 98% success rate of prosthetic retention with our implants.

All-on-4 vs. Full-Arch Fixed Implants

Full-Arch Fixed Implants are similar to All-on-4, using an implant inserted into the jaw.

The two main difference is the number of implants and stress put on the jaw ranging from 8-10 implants for Full-Arch compared to just 4 with the All-on-4 treatment. A Full Arch Rehabilitation bridge is made from ceramic materials that are still strong when in thinner sections, and which mimic the natural feel and optical properties of enamel. The key benefit to the patient is a strong, thin-in-mouth, very natural-looking teeth replacement option.

Dental implants require multiple visits, which can take a bit longer to complete, with the All-on-4 procedure completed in just a few days.

Moreover, a factor that impacts the overall procedures is, of course, price. With more implants and time investment needed with Full-Arch Fixed Implants, the cost associated with this is much higher than All-on-4.

Expenses exceed in the tens of thousands with fixed implants, whereas All-On-4 is a much more cost-effective method that yields similar, if not better, results.

Advantages of Full-Arch Fixed Implants

There are a few advantages of going with the Full-Arch Fixed Implant method. This includes:

  • Improved Support Structure – Opting for full-arch fixed dental implants prevent teeth that are next to each other from moving around. This creates an excellent structure and reduces the number of alignment issues commonly found with other dental implant surgeries.
  • Aesthetically & Functionally Pleasing – Full-Arch Fixed implants are a great alternative aesthetically, mimicking the look of normal teeth but better functioning due to the materials used to create the implants. For more information on our materials, visit our Full-Arch Fixed implants page here.

Are All-on-4 implants right for you?

Aria Dental is led by our registered Specialist Prosthodontist Dr Michael Zaninovich, and our focus is on advanced functional and aesthetic dental rehabilitation.

In general, we prefer the use of ceramic bridges over bridges made from acrylic reinforced with metal. Ceramic zirconia bridges offer the highest quality and function for tooth replacement and are preferred over acrylic bridges.

At Aria Dental, our dentists favour ceramic bridges for the following reasons:

  • Aesthetic Customisation: With ceramic bridges, the tooth shapes, colours and contours can all be hand customised by the dental ceramist.
  • Strength: Ceramic is currently the best material we can offer in terms of strength and is most suitable to endure the mouth’s harsh environment.
  • Longevity: All prosthetic materials have a very long, but not an unlimited, life span, but ceramic will last much longer than acrylic
  • Cleanability: Ceramic is easy to clean because plaque does not adhere to the ceramic material
  • Preservation of Bone: The critical benefit of ceramic restorative materials is that the surgeon aims not to remove any jaw bone because ceramic is strong even when the material thickness is reduced. This allows teeth replacement without or with minimal bone removal to achieve the most aesthetic and natural teeth possible. You may also need a bone graft.
  • Biocompatibility: Ceramic materials are very biocompatible. The gum tissue above the bridge seals better to unglazed ceramic material when compared to acrylic. A tight seal of the gum tissue to the ceramic is the first line of defence against bone loss and implant inflection. The risk of allergy to ceramic is negligible compared to acrylic materials.

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