If you’ve lost all or most of your teeth, the All-on-4® procedure can give you a new smile in just one day. The procedure is safe and effective as well as avoids the need for dental bone grafting. But for a higher chance of the best outcome, choosing the right All-on-4® clinic is important.
In Australia, missing teeth are very common, and the risk of losing teeth increases with age. Injury, trauma, illness, genetic conditions and advanced tooth decay are among the most common causes, with traditional dental implants, dentures and dental bridges among the most widely used treatments.
Pioneered by Dr Paulo Malo in 1998, All-on-4® is similar to standard dental implants but with an important distinction. Four dental implants—two at the front and two at the back—are inserted into either the upper or lower jawbone and used to support an entire arch of new teeth.
All-on-4® gives you a new smile in just 24 hours, has a shorter recovery timeframe than standard dental implants and avoids the need for painful additional procedures, such as bone grafting. It’s a procedure with a proven 98% success rate and hundreds of thousands of successful applications.
Yet, with more dental practices offering All-on-4®, choosing the right All-on-4® clinic has never been harder or more important. An experienced All-on-4® dental surgeon, cutting-edge technology and the quality of the dental materials used can make a world of difference when it comes to a successful treatment.
What to Look For In an All-on-4® Clinic
All-on-4® is a relatively fast procedure, but it’s still a serious surgical one and should be approached as such. All-on-4® clinics may be on the rise, but not every clinic that performs the procedure follows the same practices and standards. Here are some green flags to look for when choosing the right All-on-4® clinic in your city:
Experienced Dental Surgeon
Like all restorative dental procedures, All-on-4® needs to be performed with a high level of care and precision. Choosing an experienced surgeon will not only ensure better results in the end, but it will also make for a more comfortable process along the way. It’s worth looking into how much dental implant experience the surgeon has, the postgraduate studies and courses they’ve undertaken, and how widely they’ve been recognised for their expertise.
Using The Right Implants For The Procedure
The Nobel Biocare Speedy Groovy implant was designed by Dr Malo in conjunction with Nobel Biocare specifically for the All-on-4® treatment concept. The success of All-on-4® is due to using the Speedy Groovy implant; the use of other implants for All-on-4® may cause the success rate to be less than 98%.
Awarded Excellence
When a dental clinic is excelling in its field, wider recognition and awards often follow. When an All-on-4® clinic is awarded a Nobel Biocare ‘Centre of Excellence’, you can be certain they’ve met stringent standards for surgical experience, training and consistent surgical quality.
Innovative Technology
An All-on-4® clinic should use equipment such as CBCT scanners (digital imaging) to take advantage of the latest advancements in dental implant technology. A dedicated dental clinic wants to offer patients the highest standard of treatment possible, and these days, part of that is using the best technology on the market.
Supported By the Right Team
The skills of the dental surgeon are important, and so are the knowledge, dedication and competence of the rest of the team. A support staff of skilled and empathetic anaesthetists, prosthetists and other practitioners are just as valuable an asset in making sure your treatment process runs smoothly.
Mistakes to Avoid When Getting All-on-4® Dental Implants
There are some mistakes it’s easy to make when pursuing All-on-4® surgery. Here are a few of the most common pitfalls to avoid when researching whether or not it’s the treatment for you and finding the right clinic.
Assuming Everyone Is Eligible
All-on-4® is a treatment specifically aimed at people who have lost all or most of their teeth. Suitable candidates can also include those with advanced gum disease and those who can’t have their teeth restored by other means. Yet All-on-4® isn’t the right treatment for every patient. If you only have one or two missing teeth, traditional dental implants may be better suited to your needs.
Not Allowing For Recovery
After any dental implant procedure, it’s important to get plenty of rest and give your body time to recover adequately. All-on-4® has a shorter recovery timeframe than traditional dental implants, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less important to allow for that recovery time. You should take at least a few days off work, make time to rest, and expect some swelling and soreness in the first few days following surgery.
Eating Hard Foods Immediately After Treatment
There are foods you can eat and foods you should avoid after dental implant surgery, and the same applies to All-on-4® treatments. For the first 12 weeks after your All-on-4® procedure, avoid crunchy, sticky, hard, or acidic foods and stick to soft foods that are easy to digest instead.
Smoking & Vaping Before And After Surgery
Smoking and vaping are known for having a negative impact on your oral health, as well as your overall health in general. People who smoke or vape are not only at greater risk of gum disease and oral cancer, but they’re also increasing their likelihood of implant failure. Nicotine reduces the blood flow to oral tissues and interferes with the body’s ability to regenerate cells. If you want to give yourself the best possible chance of implant success, quit smoking and vaping well before your surgery.
Choosing a Clinic that Doesn’t Follow the Malo Protocol
The Malo Protocol is Dr Paulo Malo’s own two-bridge treatment process for All-on-4®, and it has a track record of success established by two decades of clinical research. This process involves the construction of a “provisional bridge” left in place for three to six months while your bone fuses with the implants (a process called “osseointegration”). When this stage is over, you’ll be ready for the fitting of your final bridge. Clinics that follow the Malo Protocol are performing All-on-4® surgery the way the creator of the procedure intended.
Book a Consultation at Next Smile Australia
If you would benefit from full mouth dental restoration and the skills of an experienced All-on-4® dental surgeon, Next Smile Australia can help.
Our All-on-4® surgeries take place at our industry-leading Super Clinics, which include in-house laboratories, state-of-the-art surgical rooms and high-grade medical equipment. All clinics in our nationwide network have been recognised as Nobel Biocare Centres of Excellence, in which surgical standards and staff training are high.
Our dental implants are made from the finest Nobel Biocare materials and crafted with the most diligent care and precision by our in-house technicians. Nobel Biocare is widely regarded as a leading innovator in the field of dental restoration.
Next Smile Australia uses Dr Malo’s own ‘Malo Protocol’, and Dr Malo has personally trained many of our experienced dental surgeons. Founder Dr Larry Benge is Australia’s most experienced All-on-4® surgeon and all staff at our clinics are guided by principles like empathy, dedication, honesty and excellence.
If you have any questions or would like to book a personal consultation, get in touch with Next Smile Australia.