No matter the nature of your dental problems, everybody wants a pain-free, natural-looking smile that they can be proud of. Restorative dentistry focuses on the individual needs of each patient, not on one-size-fits-all solutions. Restorative dentistry involves repairing and replacing teeth in order to improve oral health and functionality. This can potentially involve many common procedures, including root canals, crowns, bridges, implants and fillings, among others.
For patients who have lost all or most of their teeth, full mouth rehabilitation is necessary to restore their dental functionality and protect their oral health. While missing teeth are common in Australia, they commonly lead to further problems if left untreated, including loss of density in the jawbone, difficulties with speaking and chewing, further tooth loss and periodontitis/gum disease that allows bacteria to spread elsewhere in the body.
How do you know when All-on-4® is the best option for you, and what makes someone a suitable All-on-4® candidate? With so many dental practices out there and so many options for restorative dentistry, it’s crucial to find the treatment that best suits your specific issues. Read on to find out more about full mouth rehabilitation and when All-on-4® may be your best option.
Full Mouth Rehabilitation Options
Full mouth rehabilitation (also known as full mouth restoration or reconstruction) is the art of repairing and replacing all of the teeth in a patient’s mouth to restore appearance and functionality. It focuses on both the aesthetic of teeth to ensure they look natural and constructing a form that facilitates longevity and good oral health. Proper full mouth restoration lets you chew and bite again, protects your teeth from further wear and damage, prevents the erosion of your jawbone and a decline in your facial structure and provides you with an authentic-looking new smile.
Because every patient has their own specific needs and journey, there’s no set routine for the full mouth restoration process. Instead full mouth rehabilitation can consist of a range of commonly used treatments, including:
Fillings
The most common form of dental procedure, a filling, replaces the hole in your tooth with composite material and stops the decay from spreading.
Dentures
More commonly known as ‘false teeth’, dentures play a significant role in many dental restoration procedures, replacing multiple missing teeth at once.
Crowns
A crown is a cap that fits over an entire tooth, and dentists use it to treat broken teeth or exceptionally large cavities.
Inlays and onlays
Smaller than crowns yet larger than fillings, inlays and onlays are both customised treatment options for damaged teeth. Inlays are made of ceramic, porcelain or resin material and designed to fit precisely into holes caused by decay and injury. Onlays are designed to repair and replace damage by fitting over the cusps of teeth.
Root canal
When decay or damage extends deep enough to reach the pulp of your tooth, it can cause a nasty infection that requires root canal therapy. This procedure involves removing the infected pulp from your tooth, cleaning and disinfecting the inside and replacing the pulp with sterile dental material.
Dental implants
Dental implants provide a reliable and long-lasting solution for multiple missing teeth that, unlike dentures, don’t need to be removed for cleaning or sleeping. Each dental implant consists of a titanium screw inserted into the jawbone to replace the roots of the lost tooth, topped with an artificial tooth known as a crown.
Dental implants are popular, but depending on the number of individual implants you need, the process of getting them can be lengthy and uncomfortable. If your jawbone has already lost a substantial amount of density, dental bone grafting can be required to support the implants.
While All-on-4® is a form of dental restoration, there are several differences between All-on-4® and the traditional approach that give the procedure some unique advantages. So how do you know when All-on-4® may be the best option and whether or not you’re a suitable candidate for All-on-4®?
When Is All-on-4® The Best Option?
All-on-4® is an advanced kind of restorative dental treatment pioneered by Dr Paulo Malo in 1998 that involves resting an entire arch of new teeth on just four implants: two at the front and two at the back, on either the upper or lower jawbone. A procedure with a 98% success rate, All-on-4® provides a new set of teeth in just 24 hours and avoids the need for dental bone grafts.
All-on-4® is the best option for many patients who have been looking into dental implants, but it’s not the best option for every patient. If you only have one or two missing teeth, traditional dental implants are a better solution.
Only a qualified Next Smile Australia dentist or dental surgeon can really tell you if All-on-4® is the best option for you. However, there’s an excellent chance you’re a suitable candidate for All-on-4® if:
- You’ve lost all or most of your teeth due to injury, illness, tooth decay or a genetic condition.
- You have gum disease in the advanced stages.
- You cannot have your teeth restored by traditional methods or won’t gain any benefits from doing so.
- You have jawbone loss that may impact the efficacy of traditional dental implants.
The only way to find out for certain if you’re a suitable candidate for All-on-4® is to speak to a member of the Next Smile Australia team. They can examine your medical and dental history and determine if All-on-4® is the best option for you.
Criteria For Suitable All-on-4® Candidates
While suitable All-on-4® candidates don’t necessarily need to be missing all of their teeth, they do require multiple teeth that need replacing. Due to every patient having their own complex dental history, the criteria for All-on-4® suitability is decided on a case-by-case basis. There are certain issues patients need to be aware of when seeking All-on-4® treatment, including:
Poor oral health
If you have a history of poor oral health or underlying conditions, you may find healing slower than expected after your All-on-4® treatment.
If you have certain medical conditions
Issues like diabetes, high blood pressure and autoimmune disorders can also take their toll on your treatment and draw the healing process out further than usual.
If you lack jawbone density
All-on-4® is designed to provide an effective treatment option for patients who lack sufficient jawbone density for traditional implants. However, if you’ve been missing all your teeth for a long time and your jawbone has severely shrunk, All-on-4® treatment may be the best option for you.
Book a Consultation at Next Smile Australia
A personal consultation with a member of the Next Smile Australia team is the only accurate way to find out if All-on-4® is the best option for you.
The team at Next Smile Australia will personalise your All-on-4® treatment according to your particular needs and dental history. We follow Dr Malo’s own ‘Malo Protocol’, a two-stage treatment process involving the construction of both a “provisional” and final set of teeth. This treatment process allows you to wake up after your dental implant surgery at one of our medically regulated Super Clinics with a renewed smile.
If you’d like to book a personal consultation to find out if All-on-4® is the best option, contact the Next Smile Australia team.