What is an all-on-4?
When researching how to replace missing teeth with dental implants, you may have come across the term all-on-4 (and even all-on-5 or all-on-6). What does this mean exactly? Well, an all-on-4/5/6 is essentially a means of acquiring a set of teeth in a day. Not just one or two individual teeth but an entire set. It’s even possible to replace all the missing teeth in your mouth in both upper and lower jaws in the space of a few hours. And sometimes, we can do all of this without so much as a single stitch in your mouth.
How is this even possible?
Our understanding of how implants work, their design and their best use, the high tech services available coupled with our extensive experience and attention to detail help create a pathway to achieving sustained success in rehabilitating patients unfortunate enough to have failing dentitions.
We work closely with a highly specialised and skilled dental laboratory to plan your treatment meticulously but not before we have met you, discussed your concerns and understood your situation and aspirations, assessed you clinically and radiographically (with 3D x-rays) with a comprehensive consultation and given you time to consider all of your options to fully understand the treatment process. It takes time to establish a rapport with a clinician you can trust, that’s why we at Holmes Dental Care will never rush you in to making a decision and offer as many follow-up discussions as you need to arrive at the decision that works for you. We always strive to create a solution bespoke to you and for you and are here every day to manage any challenge that may arise.
There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes but we’ll take of all of that. We’ll guide you through the process and show you cases we have treated before. You can even read about our patients’ experiences and view video testimonials of the new smiles in action.
Aren’t these all-on-4s the same as dentures?
A denture is an entirely removable device that can replace one or more of your teeth. Whilst it is possible to replace multiple failing, failed or missing teeth with a denture in a day, the denture remains removable and can easily drop or move during function which could lead to continual inconvenience, embarrassment, pain and even social withdrawal as you fear you cannot smile or interact confidently.
An all-on-4 is fixed in your mouth, like natural teeth, and cannot be removed so you needn’t worry about those awkward moments.
How does it work?
Once you are assessed, x-rayed, planned and scanned, reviewed and deemed suitable, we ensure you understand the process and what to expect then schedule you in for a long appointment usually of 3 – 4 hours (don’t worry, there are plenty of opportunities for breaks in between).
At this appointment your remaining teeth are removed, implants placed, minor bone grafting performed to rebuild deficient parts of your jaw and then your bridge is fitted securely to the implants. You’ll then be reviewed at regular intervals to ensure your rehabilitation is running smoothly.
After at least 6 months, we can replace your provisional bridge with the final bridge. This is made from titanium (or zirconia) and premium grade high impact acrylics or ceramics to create beautiful aesthetic masterpieces built from a fusion of 3D computer-aided design and manufacture and hand crafted excellence. You can see some of these cases below.
How much does it cost?
This type of comprehensive treatment is not cheap. In essence, we are replacing a significant part of your body that allows you to chew, speak, smile and be confident in yourself. Well conducted studies have shown that the loss of even one single tooth can be perceived by some as akin to losing a limb. Hence, the loss of several or even all of your teeth can carry with it a significant psychological burden that requires compassion and nurture as well as clinical expertise.
We split our all-on-4 treatments into phases:
- Stabilisation, placement of implants and fit of the provisional bridge which you wear whilst your body heals and the implants integrate
- Replacement of your provisional bridge for the final bridge at least 6 months later once all healing has taken place and your new smile can be finalised
A typical all-on-4 treatment fee can vary depending on whereabouts in the country you go (or which country you go to) ranging from £12000 – £25000 per arch. In some parts of the UK, it can even be double this, per arch! Our fees are set to reflect the materials we use, the experience we have and the passion and attention to detail we show and are thus positioned at about £17500 per arch. There are lots of options for materials and we give our patients flexible options for their final bridge to suit their budget.
How do I know if I’m suitable?
You can attend for an implant consultation where we take time to understand your treatment needs and goals. At this appointment you’ll meet both our treatment co-ordinator and the implant dentist. We’ll collaborate with you to arrive at a solution that works for you and then bring in our technical partners to plan your case after a thorough clinical exam, review and 3D CT scan.
There are lots of ways to restore a failing dentition and we provide all manner of rehabilitations some not involving any implants at all. We won’t steer you towards dental implants if we don’t think they’re right for you or if other solutions are available or preferrable but if it is implants you choose, you can rest assured we know what we’re doing.
Before & After
