ARE YOU MISSING MORE THAN ONE TOOTH?
A dental implant is able to support the same load that 3 dental pieces are subjected to but only if they are connected to other implants (i.e. if 3 or 4 teeth are missing, it is not necessary to place an implant for each missing tooth, but two would be enough). With the all on 4 implants we can replace an entire arch without teeth by placing only 4 implants because they are so strong that they can support 12 teeth.
HOW DOES ALL ON 4 WORK?
The all on 4 implants consists of a surgery in which 4 titanium implants are placed in the maxilla or mandible with a perfect spacing. Thanks to this treatment we are able to replace a complete arch in just one surgery.
STEPS:
- DIAGNOSIS AND STUDY
- 3D SCANNER + ORTHOPANTOMOGRAPHY
- SURGERY PLANNING
- SURGERY (Can be done with sedation)
Thanks to this treatment we can place the prosthesis in less than 24 hours after the surgery was done, without having to wait about 3 months for such placement as in the case of traditional implants. In this way we achieve the desired results in a short time.
Advantages of all on 4:
- You get a perfect smile in only 72 hours.
- Cheaper cost than replacing an entire arch with 6 implants
- Conscious sedation for surgery
Frequently asked questions about All-on-4
How many implants do I need to replace a full arch?
With the All-on-4 technique, four titanium implants placed with the right spacing are strong enough to support a full fixed arch, so there is no need for one implant per missing tooth.
How long until I have teeth again?
The prosthesis can be placed in less than 24 hours after surgery, and you get your new smile in about 72 hours, instead of waiting around 3 months as with traditional implant protocols.
Is the surgery painful?
The procedure is performed under local anaesthesia and, if you prefer, with conscious sedation, so you stay relaxed and pain-free during the whole surgery.
All-on-4 or All-on-6: which one your case needs
The number of implants is not a matter of preference, it is a matter of how much bone you have and how you bite. All-on-4 is designed to make the most of the bone that is already there, which is why it often avoids a graft. All-on-6 spreads the chewing load over two more points and is preferred when there is enough bone to place them. Neither is better in the abstract: the scan decides.
Why there is a temporary bridge and then a final one
They do two different jobs. The temporary one carries you through the months in which the bone integrates the implants, and during that time your gum heals and changes shape. Making the final bridge before that happens would mean fitting it to a mouth that is about to change. Those months also let you and your dentist check the bite, the look and your speech, and adjust anything before the definitive one is made.
The first weeks, honestly
There are three things to get used to, and all three settle down. Swelling peaks around 48 hours and then drops. Your diet is soft at first and widens gradually, following your dentist’s instructions. And your tongue needs a few days to adapt to the new shape, so some words feel odd at the start. None of this stops you from going about your day, and most people are back to their routine quickly.
How you clean a fixed full-arch bridge
This is the practical question worth settling before you decide. The bridge does not come out, so cleaning happens in the mouth: a toothbrush, interdental brushes or superfloss to reach underneath, and very often a water flosser, which gets where a brush cannot. That space between the bridge and the gum is exactly where problems start, and it is why the bridge is removed in the clinic during check-ups for a deep clean you cannot do at home. The same care is what makes implants last, and what keeps the warning signs of implant failure away.
What to ask before you commit
Four questions separate a comparable quote from one that is not: how many implants and why that number in your case, what material the final bridge is made of, whether the price includes the temporary bridge, the final one and the follow-up visits, and what happens if something needs repairing later. Any clinic should answer those in writing. If bone is scarce, ask as well whether a bone graft is part of the plan, because that changes both the timeline and the price.
Where we do it
We treat patients in Zaragoza and in Barcelona, and the first consultation with its assessment is free. In that visit we study your case, answer your questions and give you a closed quote, so you know exactly what is included before deciding. If you want to compare options first, we explain the different types of dental implants and, if you are anxious about surgery, how conscious sedation works.
Frequently asked questions
Will I be able to eat normally?
With the final bridge you recover a large part of your chewing ability, far more than with a removable denture. Even so, care with very hard food is sensible, exactly as it would be with natural teeth under heavy load.
What happens if one of the implants fails?
It does not mean losing the treatment. Depending on which one it is and where, it can be replaced or the bridge redesigned over the remaining ones. This is one of the reasons the initial planning and the check-ups matter so much.
Does it look like natural teeth?
When you talk and smile, the result is very natural. What you do notice is temperature and texture, because a bridge does not have the sensitivity of a natural tooth.
Is All-on-4 permanent?
The bridge is fixed: you do not take it out. It is removed only in the clinic, during check-ups, so the area underneath can be cleaned properly.
