Dental implants refer to the replacement of a damaged tooth, with a new and artificial one. It is usually done by implanting a titanium root into the jawbone and placing a well-carved crown on top of the abutment on the root. A denture, on the other hand, is more common and affordable. It is a full arch of teeth, containing either the lower jaw, the upper jaw or both. It is made to fit onto your gums, and look perfectly natural. So, you would think that it is a perfect alternative to implants; correct? Well, no! You may wonder how it could be feasible to choose implants over dentures, especially if a patient has lost all his/her teeth in either or both of the jaws. The following sections in the article are set to change your mind!

The concept of All on 4 Implants

Often considered to be a breakthrough in modern dentistry, all on 4 implants do not require you to implant each of your teeth. All it takes, is just 4 precisely placed implants in either of the jaws, to bring back a full smile! The four implants consist of 16 crowns in total, designed in a way to fit perfectly into your jawbone. Since this type of implant requires precise control, most of the implants are endosteal titanium implants. In case a patient has lost all the teeth in both of the jaws, the number of implants needed would be 8. Thus, on an average, each implant supports 4 crowns, unlike traditional dental implants, which have a root, an abutment and a crown to make one tooth implant. If it is not clear to you already why all on 4 dental implants are fantastic denture alternatives, read about the drawbacks of dentures in the next section, followed by the corresponding advantages of all on 4 implants.

Drawbacks of dentures

• •  They feel highly bulky, especially upper dentures that cover the entire roof of the mouth.
  • Lower dentures are constantly subject to dislodge, due to the movements of various muscles, such as the tongue.
  • Dentures may not fit into everybody’s jaws. There are some jaw shapes that do not perfectly fit any shape or size of dentures, thereby making the denture unstable.
  • Jaw shapes change over time, and this is why dentures have to be relined on a regular basis.

Advantages of all on 4 implants

• •  Since these implants are rooted in the jawbone, they feel absolutely natural and face no hassles of being dislodged.
  • Implants give the dentist a control over the shape of the ridges, as per the shape of the jawbone. Therefore, there is no concern about ‘fit’ when it comes to implants.
  •  Despite jaw shapes changing over time, the implant is rooted in the jawbone and hence, there is no hassle of relining associated with it.
    Additionally,
  •  Dental implants are known to last for decades, unlike dentures. This means that implants are more cost-effective.
  • Since they fuse with the bone, dental implants are believed to make your jawbone stronger.
  •  Unlike dentures, they do not pose you the threat of coming off, and neither do you have to take them off to brush your teeth. To put this into perspective, an all on 4 implants would save you from a ton of embarrassments, which dentures could put you into!

As could be understood, it is no wonder why all on 4 dental implants are considered to be a breakthrough in modern. These are highly beneficial alternatives to dentures, especially for older patients. Now that you know which the better alternative is, which one would you choose or recommend?