Every Dentist Needs Your Help Keeping Your Teeth Healthy

When you have been missing teeth for a while, it's exciting to have your dentist recommend a solution. All-on-four implants certainly sound like a great choice for replacing all of your missing teeth in a way that feels more natural than conventional dentures. Still, you're bound to have some questions about this oral surgery and the procedure involved. Here's a look at four frequently asked questions about all-on-four implants — and their answers.

What is the surgery like?

Some patients picture implant surgery as being a huge ordeal. Inserting posts into your jaw bone certainly sounds like a major endeavor! However, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find that the surgery is quite simple. You will be left awake, but you will be sedated to take the edge off, and your dentist will administer a local anesthetic so you don't feel a thing during the procedure. The whole surgery should only take two hours, at most. 

When do you get the dentures?

This depends.Traditionally, the implants would be left to heal and stabilize within your jaw bone for a few weeks before you'd be fitted for dentures. However, dentists have recently begun sending patients home with new teeth the same day as their surgery. Which approach your dentist takes will depend on how strong your jaw bone is and whether you're getting upper or lower implants. 

How do you take care of the implants?

You take care of your all-on-four implant teeth just like you would normal teeth. Brush and floss them every day. Even though the false teeth themselves cannot decay, this care is important to keep your gum tissue in good health and to prevent bad breath. You will not remove the dentures on a regular basis as you would with standard dentures. They will be firmly anchored to the four implants that your dentist places in your jaw. Only your dentist can remove the dentures, and they will only do so if and when adjustments need to be made.

Will the all-on-four implants look like normal teeth?

Yes! This is one of the primary reasons patients prefer all-on-four implants to standard dentures. The result is teeth that look completely natural. You'll be able to eat and speak just as though you still had your natural teeth, and nobody will know any different when they look at you. The implants will also help keep your jaw bone strong and healthy, so you don't develop that sunken-in appearance that's common among denture wearers.