Not having a full set of teeth can make you self-conscious and diminish the wattage of your smile. There’s also the more serious issues of bone loss, tooth decay and poor oral hygiene. The All-on-6 technique offers a permanent solution and restores your full mouth of teeth.
How do All-on-6 implants work?
First let’s review what a dental implant is. A dental implant is a small titanium screw, which is placed into your jawbone to replace the root of a missing tooth. Once the implant is in place, a crown is attached to give you a highly realistic looking and functional tooth.
Because the implants are made of titanium, they can fuse to the jaw bone in a process called osseointegration. This makes them incredibly sturdy and reliable, just like real teeth.
All-on-6 implants are the perfect solution for patients that are missing all of their teeth in either their upper and/or lower arches.
With the All-on-6 a series of 6 implants are placed to anchor a whole upper or lower arch of teeth. Instead of getting a dental implant for each missing tooth, we are able to strategically place just 6 implants.
These full-mouth restorations are non-removable, incredibly stable, and function just like real teeth. With All-on-6 implants, you can chew tough foods, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, laugh, kiss, and speak confidently again.
They also provide the added benefit of preserving your jawbone. When teeth are lost, the jawbone below your teeth slowly starts to recede. By placing a titanium implant into the jawbone, you will prevent further bone loss and facial sagging, creating a more youthful appearance.
Who can have the All-on-6 Dental Implant treatment?
Before the All-on-6 dental implants procedure our dentists will make an X-Ray and examine your mouth. They will also discuss your medical history as systemic diseases can affect your healing.
If you have experienced bone loss for whatever reason it may be, an All-on-6 dental implant treatment might still be possible as our dentists can build up bone for implant levels using sophisticated bone grafting techniques.
Though every patient case is unique, our dentist are looking at five major factors to consider when recommending the All-on-6 dental implant treatment:
- Speech Issues: If speech is a major concern, periodontists must be prepared to offer alternative treatments, such as to replace missing teeth with short-span bridges or single dental implants. This will often require more implants, more bone grafting, and more expensive prosthetics, so patients will need to be prepared for the additional treatment time and cost.
- Bridge thickness: This can be a big problem for some patients, and sadly they often figure out that it’s a problem after surgery when the ridge has been reduced. At that point, nothing can be done to get them back to that natural-feeling transition.
- Excessive biting force: Patients have difficulty recognizing premature or excessive occlusal contacts. They may generate excessive biting forces due to the lack of sensation.
- Parafunction: Bruxism, clenching, and irregular chewing cycles
Our dentists offer more than just one treatment option when it comes to full mouth reconstructions options. They take the time to assess the best options for each patient and explain the hurdles they will need to overcome and not just the benefits of the treatment.
The Procedure
The process of getting All-on-6 implants is an efficient and less painful way to replace a full arch of missing teeth. Individual dental implants to replace 24 functional tooth is impractical and not recommended. With All-on-6 implants, you can have all the implants placed in one surgery, which will minimize discomfort and recovery time.
- The first step of placing the implants is making 3D images of the jaw, so that the dentist gets a detailed picture of the condition the jaw bone is in, as well as the position of sinuses and nerves in relation to the jaws. If it is determined that the patient has enough bone tissue to proceed with All-on-6 technique, a precise plan of implant positions is created.
- Once the initial process has been finished, the teeth indicated for extraction are pulled out, after which the implants will be placed immediately. If there is any sort of bone defect in the jaws region, the specialists make sure to avoid it. In certain rare circumstances it is necessary to wait for a while for the wounds to heal in order to place the implants. All implants in both jaws can be placed in a single day, and they are mostly placed in the position where the 2s, 4s and 6s used to be.
- After the placement of the implants, there is a period of bone integration (osseintegration), lasting between 3 and 6 months.
- The patient will wear a removable temporary denture plate on the implants for up to 6 months while the jaws and gums heal fully around the implanted titanium screws.
- As mentioned earlier, the final arch, will be placed three to six months after the placement of your implants. The crowns come in two options: metal ceramic or non-metal zirconium. In most cases, a 12 crown arch is planned, i.e. up to the 6s, but this can vary. Only the All-on-6 features six implants and 12 crowns, since it is considered that 12 crowns is optimal for normal daily functions.
After the placement of implants, patients must maintain scrupulous hygiene around the implants. If they live a healthy lifestyle and keep a good hygiene, a gradual regeneration of bone tissue can be expected. The cost of the All-on-6 implant treatment depends on the type of implants and crowns to be used, and it is paid in two installments. You will be charged for implants and temporary fixtures during your initial visit. As for the placement of your final arch, this part can be paid for during your second visit.
