Odds are that when you lost one or several teeth, you also lost some of your self-esteem and confidence. In such a situation, keeping your gums healthy is a big challenge because the missing teeth sockets can trap and hold bacteria and food. In worse occurrences, you may experience severe headaches and jaw pain as your other teeth try to shift to cover the gap left. Today, if you are missing all your teeth and you don’t want to wear dentures, a more permanent option includes all-on-four dental implants. This procedure has few advantages and several demerits.
Why You Shouldn’t Replace Your Teeth Using the All-on-four Dental Implants
This technique is used to replace all teeth using only four implants. This means that ten to fourteen teeth will be supported by four implants. The implants fitted at the back of your mouth are tilted at a certain angle to ensure that they are pushed back farther.
They are Under-Engineered
One of the major disadvantages of all-on-four implants is that they are under engineered. The natural teeth have multiple roots and each tooth has its own root. This supports the teeth for a strong bite. However, with this procedure you will only have four roots. Compare this to building a house. If you were building a house today, would you use only four beams to support the entire building? This is next to impossible. You would want a strong foundation for your home.
Consider a situation whereby one of the four poles was attacked by termites (periodontal diseases) and removing it is the only way, In case you only had four implants, then you would lose the entire bridge and have it redone from scratch. Remember also that if one of your angulated implants fails, it will destroy a lot of bone during its removal. It may hold for only a few years before complications develop, and very few dentists in Los Angeles can remedy such a situation.
Plastic Permanent Dentures
The other main problem is that most Santa Monica dentists who fit all-on-four dental implants will give you a bridge that has plastic denture teeth as your final bridge. This is similar to a fixed denture and your teeth will stain, break more easily, and need replacement after every few years. This will cost you more money in the long term. The implants fitted in the back of your mouth will be positioned poorly causing your palate to feel like a big lump. Normal dental implant bridges should be made of porcelain because they are tough and less problematic.
All-on-four implants are less expensive compared to traditional implants that are placed in the jaws of your mouth without being tilted. The minimum number of implants used in traditional dental implants include, five implants on the lower jaw and six on the upper jaw. These are minimum number of implants and can only apply on a small, v-shaped jaw or if you want a few of your teeth back.
All-on-four dental implants are often a marketing fab and they don’t have a predictable, solid treatment plan. If you determine that you need full mouth dental implants, schedule for a free dental consultation with your best dentist such as Bruce Vafa, DDS in Beverly Hills to discuss your best option and treatment plan.