Do I Qualify for All-on-4 Dental Implants?

December 26, 2023

All-on-4 dental implants are a popular alternative to traditional dentures that allow patients to replace an entire row of missing teeth with just a few dental implants.

With All-on-4, patients do not need an individual dental implant for every tooth, but they can still enjoy a secure smile restoration with a few dental implants and a natural-looking prosthesis.

If you are missing most or all of your natural teeth, you might wonder if you qualify for All on-4 dental implants. Here are the best candidates for this innovative procedure that helps patients restore their smiles.

Patients Missing an Entire Row or All of Their Natural Teeth

All-on-4 dental implants work best for patients who are missing an entire row of natural teeth or all of their natural teeth. If you are only missing a few upper or lower teeth, you may qualify for an implant-supported bridge, but not necessarily All-on-4 implants.

If you are missing all of your teeth or the entire upper or lower rows of teeth, your dentist will place four, five, or six implants in your jaw and fabricate a realistic-looking prosthesis to connect to these [1]. The prosthesis is not removable, except by your dentist, so it does allow for a secure and functional tooth restoration that differs from dentures.

For patients missing fewer teeth, individual dental implants may be a more appropriate treatment option.

Those With Good Oral Health

Patients seeking dental implant therapy must have good oral health to qualify for the procedure [2]. It doesn’t matter if you’re getting a single dental implant or All-on-4 implants—your smile needs to be healthy to reduce your risk of complications following the procedure.

This means any existing gum inflammation or tooth decay has been resolved before the procedure. Good oral health will allow you to heal properly, including soft tissue healing as well as the bone integration that needs to happen before your final prosthesis can be placed.

Addressing Bone Loss in the Jaw

There must be enough bone in the jaw for dental implants to successfully integrate with your existing jawbone to create a strong and secure restoration [3]. However, patients with insufficient existing bone to support the implants needed in All-on-4-type therapies can still get dental implants with a bone graft.

Bone grafting is a common procedure prior to placing dental implants. If you have been missing your natural teeth for several years, a bone graft will likely be necessary before implant placement. While this will create an additional step when getting your dental implants, it is well worth it to have a secure and functional alternative to dentures and experience the benefits of dental implants.

In addition, All-on-4 implant therapy does not require the extensive bone grafting that would otherwise be necessary when placing individual implants for every missing tooth, so the process generally takes less time and is more cost-efficient.

Ask Your Dentist About All-on-4 Dental Implants

If you are tired of dealing with dentures and want to restore your smile with dental implants, All-on-4 therapy may be an option for you. Find out if you qualify for All-on-4 dental implants by scheduling a consultation with your experienced prosthodontist today.