All-on-4 vs. Traditional Dental Implants

Are you dealing with missing teeth and exploring your dental implant options in Marysville, OH?

Read this short guide to learn the differences between the two most popular options: traditional dental implants and All-on-4 implants.

What Are Traditional Dental Implants?

Traditional implants are the ones that can replace missing teeth one by one. They are made from a metal post that gets inserted into the jaw bone, an abutment, and a dental crown. 

Getting dental implants involves a rather lengthy timeline. Once the metal post is surgically inserted into the jawbone, the body needs time to fuse with all the surrounding tissues to it. This healing stage takes six months on average. 

What Are All-on-4 Implants? 

All-on-4 implants are a combination of traditional implants and dentures and are suitable for patients with extensive tooth loss or dental damage.

Instead of replacing missing teeth one by one, this procedure can restore the entire upper or lower arch. Patients get four dental implants inserted at an angle, and then a denture is permanently attached on top.

Main Differences Between All-on-4 and Traditional Implants

While the main difference between these procedures is obvious, there are more subtle ones to be aware of:

• Eligibility: Because the posts in All-on-4 implant restoration are placed at an angle, this procedure may be suitable even for patients with bone loss, which is not possible with traditional implants. The latter needs a specific amount of healthy bone to be implanted since they are inserted straight down in the root socket.

• Treatment timeline: Though they both involve an osseointegration phase that can take six months, All-on-4 implants usually have a shorter treatment timeline. Patients who need traditional implants often require additional treatments, such as sinus lifts or bone grafts, to make them good candidates for restoration. These procedures come with a healing timeline, which can delay the implant restoration for months.

• Treatment cost: Considering you can replace the entire arch with just four implants, All-on-4 restorations are much more cost-effective. Replacing each tooth with a traditional dental implant can result in higher costs, but it may also take a bigger toll on your body during healing.

• Supporting treatments: Patients usually don’t need additional treatments to restore their smile with All-on-4 implants, apart from tooth extraction if they still have remaining teeth on the arch. However traditional implants are often used along with other methods such as dental crowns or bridges.

How Can You Determine Which Procedure Is Right for You?

Your best option is to see Dr. Katie Montgomery for an implant consultation, where she will closely examine your oral health, needs, and smile expectations to help you make an informed decision for your smile.

Learn if you’re a good candidate for traditional or All-on-4 implants by scheduling a visit to Montgomery Family Dental online, or calling our office at (937) 642-1151 to learn more about how we can help.