Get New Teeth: Key Features Of The “all-on-4tm” Dental Implants Protocol, Part 1

By Author: Gina Butler
Total Articles: 37
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For decades, getting a full set of new teeth using traditional dental implant techniques was a long, painful and expensive journey that, for many patients, simply wasn’t worth it. In spite of the fact that removable partial and full dentures go hand-in-hand with daily challenges and repeat expenses, they remained the more popular alternative to getting teeth replaced with implants. This all changed in the 1990’s when European Implantologist and founder of MALO CLINICS in Lisbon, Dr. Paulo Malo, innovated a far more sophisticated protocol for the treatment of patients who had lost most, if not all of their original adult teeth. The protocol was called the “All-on-4TM”.
In this four-part article series, we shall explore the key features of this revolutionary teeth replacement method and explain just why it has come to be known as a “breakthrough” in the fields of fixed oral rehabilitation and dental implantology. But first, let us take a look at exactly how this procedure works.
What is the “All-on-4TM”?
The “All-on-4TM” is a protocol or methodology for the replacement of a patient’s ...
... entire arch of missing and/or failing teeth. It consists of the placement of only four dental implants in the lower or upper jawbone (hence the name of the procedure) and the attachment of a customized prosthetic MALO Clinic bridge to the abutments of these implants. This bridge is expertly fabricated to be virtually indistinguishable from a full set of natural teeth and the exceptionally strong and durable materials from which it is constructed enable patients to use it as they would their natural teeth.
Having said this, the key features of the “All-on-4TM” extend far beyond just providing patients with a new set of beautiful and functional teeth…
1. The “All-on-4TM” Typically Bypasses the Need for Bone Grafting Surgery
One of the biggest challenges facing traditional dental implant techniques was the lack of sufficient bone volume edentulous (toothless) and near-edentulous patients typically presented with. Being toothless isn’t only a blow to your confidence, it also causes the jawbone to atrophy and shrink. Since dental implants, like natural teeth, also rely on the jaw for support, bone grafting would frequently be required prior to implant surgery in order to augment and encourage the growth of new and healthy bone volume in the jaw.
The problem with bone grafting is that it’s incredibly invasive and painful for the patient to go through. It requires a lengthy recovery period of months before a patient can be considered for dental implants. It’s also very expensive. The need for bone grafting, therefore, represented a considerable hurdle on a patient’s path to fixed oral rehabilitation. Owing to the many challenges this course of treatment presented with, many patients opted for removable dentures instead of implants.
It was these challenges that Dr. Malo had in mind when innovating the “All-on-4TM” dental implant technique. After many years of design, research and clinical trials, Dr. Malo found that through the strategic placement and angulation of only four dental implants in the jaw, enough support could be provided for a full dental bridge (see image below), typically without the need for bone grafting first.
This was a revolutionary finding because it not only saved patients all the pain and trauma associated with bone grafting surgery, it also cut down treatment time from many months to as little as a single day! This is not to mention the thousands of dollars patients would save on the cost of getting new teeth! Eliminating the need for bone grafting is a key feature of the “All-on-4TM” and a key benefit to all edentulous and near-edentulous patients.
Getting New Teeth with “All-on-4TM” Implants: Stay Tuned
To find out more about the key benefits of the “All-on-4TM” protocol and how it can give patients new teeth implants in as little as a single day, stay tuned for the second installment of this four-part article series.