Losing teeth, whether due to aging, an unfortunate accident, or a severe injury, can significantly impact quality of life. However, dental implants can give people back their radiant smiles. One solution provided by expert implant dentists in Camden, implant dentures, are ideal for those who have lost the majority, if not all, of their natural teeth.
There are two types of dental implants: “All-on-6” and “All-on-4”. In this article, we’ll explore All-On-6 – what are they, and are they the best option for you?
What is a Dental Implant?
Dental implants are often used by dentists to replace lost teeth. However, these are generally for one or two tooth losses. Dental implants are anchor points that are fused with your jawbone to create a platform on which your new set of false teeth can be placed. They are typically made of titanium or zirconium oxide.
What Are All-On-6 Dental Implants?
All-on-6 dental implants are the installation of six metal posts in either the top or bottom jaw, or both, to offer a platform for false teeth to be attached to. All-on-6 refers to the number of metal posts attached to the jaw; all-on-4 is the other method, where four metal posts are attached to the jawbone.
In general, all-on-6 dental implants could be suggested by your emergency dentist in Camden if more of your teeth require support. All-on-6 dental implants support 6 to 7 teeth per quadrant, or 12 to 14 of your total teeth per arch.
How Are All-on-6 Dental Implants Installed?
This procedure is typically performed under anaesthesia. Your dentist will begin by extracting any infected teeth, gum and bone tissue and cleaning out the affected area before implanting six posts on either the top or bottom jaw, depending on where they are required.
Implants on the top jawbone are angled to avoid interfering with sinus cavities, whereas lower-jaw implants are angled to avoid hitting major nerves. Two posts are typically placed in the front section of your lower jawbone to give added stability to the front of your jaw and teeth.
Once the implants are installed, your dentist will insert abutments on top of the implants. Abutments are the connectors that bond your implants to your new artificial teeth. This set of teeth is temporary only and is installed to provide stability while your jawbone and implants heal and fuse together. This process usually takes between three and six months.
Once your jawbone and the implants have osseointegrated (fused together), your permanent teeth will be fitted to your implants.
How Long Do All-on-6 Dental Implants Last?
Proper dental care is essential to maintaining the longevity of your dental implants, whether they be all-on-6 or all-on-4. All-on-6 dental implants tend to last between 15 and 20 years, even if the dentures themselves wear out during the course of that timeframe.
As you get older, your teeth, gums and jawline can shift and move due to degradation of bone density. It’s for this reason that dentists in Camden recommend visiting your denture clinic once every year, or at least once every two years, to see if denture repair is needed and to inspect your dental implants for signs of movement.
What is the Cost of All-on-6 Dental Implants?
It can be difficult to determine what you’ll pay for all-on-6 dental implants, as this type of procedure is more invasive and extensive than all-on-4 implants. However, they do tend to provide more stability over time and so are generally a better long-term investment.
The average cost of all-on-6 dental implants can depend on whether you need bone grafting, extra cleaning or extraction of teeth or bone tissue.
What Factors Decide Whether You Need All-on-4 or All-on-6 Implants?
The decision between choosing all-on-4 and all-on-6 dental implants is to be made by you and your dentist and is dependent on a variety of factors, including:
- The amount of bone you have left in your jaw. All-on-6 requires more bone than their counterparts.
- The health of your gums. If you suffer from gum disease, it’s likely that your dentist will work out a treatment plan to increase gum health before performing implantations.
- Which treatment is more appropriate for the number of missing teeth you have.
- Whether your jawbone contains enough healthy bone tissue to support all-on-6 implants. If not, your dentist will likely suggest having top implants installed alongside your bottom ones, to increase jaw strength and stability enough to support bottom implants.
While all-on-4 dental implants are more common than all-on-6, it’s generally accepted that the latter provides greater whole-mouth stability and more even distribution for biting and chewing of food.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’ve got ongoing dental issues or have recently been to our Camden dentist location and all-on-6 implants have been suggested as a method of treatment, Aesthetic Dental & Denture Clinic is Camden’s premiere denture clinic, devoted to giving you back your beautiful smile.
Contact us today to book your consultation or learn more about our services, including all-on-6 dental implants.
