There are many causes of missing teeth, from advanced tooth decay to genetic conditions like hypodontia and oligodontia. The most common cause is periodontitis, an advanced stage of gum disease that becomes more common with age. But losing teeth can happen to anyone at any age, and one of the most frequent causes is dental trauma.
A dental accident can happen quickly: a blow to the mouth while playing a sport, a motor vehicle accident, a hard fall, or even biting down on something tough. There are steps you can take to avoid dental trauma, such as wearing a mouthguard during contact sports, but what are your options once a significant injury has occurred? Can you recapture the smile you once had?
You may have heard of All-on-4®, a treatment option for replacing multiple teeth. All-on-4® provides a new set of fully-functioning teeth in as little as one day, with each bridge of new teeth resting on only four implants. Similar to traditional dental implants, All-on-4® has unique benefits, such as a shorter recovery time and no need for dental bone grafting. But can All-on-4® be your solution to dental trauma in Brisbane?
Although it is common in Australia, missing teeth are an issue that should be addressed, not something you should simply learn to live with. Even one missing tooth can have an impact on your whole mouth, as well as the rest of your body, that goes beyond your physical appearance. Problems like shifting teeth, an irregular bite, weakened jawbone, further tooth loss, and issues elsewhere in the body can be prevented by replacing missing teeth.
So is All-on-4® the solution to your dental trauma in Brisbane?
Common Types of Dental Trauma
The most common causes of dental injury are falls, blows to the face, sporting accidents and breaking a tooth while eating something hard. These can generally occur in a variety of contexts and situations, but when accidents happen, they happen quickly: an assault, an illness-induced loss of balance, a loss of control of your car, a hard ball catching you off-guard on the sports field.
However, not all dental injury is so sudden. Attrition is the technical term for the loss of structure and tissue caused by grinding (bruxism). Abrasion, the gradual wearing away of the tooth’s surface, is often the result of brushing too forcefully. While issues like grinding cause only minor damage in the short term, they can weaken teeth enough that loss is a possibility in the future.
Dental Accident Treatment Options
If you can keep hold of a lost tooth, it’s possible to save it. While you should aim to get to the hospital or the dentist within 30 minutes, you may have up to three hours if necessary. Handle the tooth delicately by the crown, it’s best not to touch the root. Put the tooth in milk, which contains proteins and sugars that help to keep it protected. If you don’t have milk, use saliva or sterile saline.
Once you’ve lost a permanent tooth, or multiple permanent teeth, for good, there are still options, including the following:
Dental implants
If you only have one missing tooth, a traditional dental implant is your best option. A titanium screw is inserted into the jawbone to replace the root of the tooth, and an artificial tooth or “crown” is affixed to the top.
Dentures
Dentures, also known as “false teeth”, are a commonly used option for replacing multiple teeth. They are now more natural-looking than the dentures of the past, and they provide a convincing replacement for lost teeth. Generally, they come in two kinds, full and partial dentures, and most are removable.
Dental bridges
A dental bridge is a short bridge of one or two missing teeth that fill in a gap by being attached to the teeth on each side. There are different types available, including traditional bridges and “cantilever” ones that are only secured to one healthy tooth.
All-on-4®
One powerful option for replacing multiple teeth is treatment with All-on-4® in Brisbane. The next few sections cover what All-on-4® is, who is suitable and how Next Smile Australia can address dental trauma in Brisbane.
How All-on-4® Can Help
All-on-4® in Brisbane provides a new set of teeth in just one day using only four implants. Pioneered by Dr Paulo Malo in 1998, it has resulted in new smiles for hundreds of thousands of patients. Next Smile Australia uses Dr Malo’s own two-bridge treatment process: ‘The Malo Protocol’. During stage one of this process, you receive your first set of provisional teeth to wear for three to six months. Once the implants have had the chance to fuse with your jawbone in a process known as osseointegration, you’ll be ready for stage two: the fitting of your permanent teeth.
Benefits of All-on-4® in Brisbane include a proven 98% success rate, a new smile within 24 hours of your implant surgery, treatment with innovative and advanced technology and techniques, and no dental bone grafting.
Am I Suitable?
If your dental trauma has only resulted in one missing tooth, your best treatment option is a dental implant. If you’re replacing multiple teeth, however, there’s a high chance that All-on-4® is the right kind of treatment for you.
Are you suitable for All-on-4® in Brisbane? While you don’t need to have an entire arch missing to benefit from the treatment, it’s best for people who have multiple teeth that require replacing.
Signs that you’re likely to benefit from All-on-4® in Brisbane include the following:
- You have multiple missing teeth from causes such as injury, illness or trauma.
- You have advanced-level gum disease.
- You can’t have your teeth restored by traditional means or don’t see any benefits to doing so.
The only way to know for sure whether All-on-4® is right for you is to book a personal consultation with Next Smile Australia. An experienced dental surgeon will take your dental and medical history and treatment goals into account when assessing your suitability for the treatment.
If it’s the right treatment for you, you can soon experience the benefits of All-on-4® in Brisbane.
Book a Consultation at Next Smile Australia Brisbane
You can recover from dental trauma in Brisbane by booking a consultation with Next Smile Australia Brisbane.
For more than 30 years, Next Smile Australia Brisbane has helped residents of areas from Greater Brisbane to Central and Western Queensland regain their smiles with All-on-4®. Like our other Super Clinics, Next Smile Australia Brisbane has state-of-the-art technology and facilities, including an in-house dental laboratory, and provides All-on-4® treatment in comfort and convenience.
Lead All-on-4® dental surgeon Dr Tony Rotondo is a Prosthodontics expert with more than 30 years of experience, he has placed over 500 All-on-4® implants.
Dr Rotondo’s interest and expertise in areas like dental aesthetics and dental implants runs deep. A former president of the Australian Society of Aesthetic Dentistry (QLD Branch), secretary of ANZAP (Australian Academy of Prosthodontists) and treasurer and founding member of AOS (Australasian Osseointegration Society, QLD branch), he has spent time teaching what he knows to university students. Now his focus is on providing All-on-4® in Brisbane to those who would benefit from it.
Get in touch to find out more about All-on-4® in Brisbane and to book a personal consultation with Next Smile Australia.