When a patient has lost all of their teeth and is looking for the best replacement option, implant bridges are the answer (if there is enough bone, and no other contraindications). No dentist that I know would ever choose to have the All-on-four or All-on-six procedure done on them; they would instead choose to have Implant Bridges. Why? Because in the all-on-four and all-on-six procedures, a considerable amount of precious bone is removed in order to make room for the ceramic framework. I would not want bone to be removed on me, so I don’t like to do that to other people either.
The advantage of the All-on-four and all-on-six system is that it does not involve as much planning, as implant angulations can easily be corrected using angled abutments. Implant Bridges requires a lot more pre-surgical planning and surgical precision, but the final result of Implant Bridges is far superior to the result of the all-on-four system, in that bone is maintained, and the gum tissue can be healthier, as more of the thicker “attached gingiva” is maintained around the implants.
The cost of Implant Bridges is higher than the All-on-four or All-on-six procedures, because a larger number of implants are used, as well as the additional cost of materials in making surgical guides, as well as possible temporary phases, but the benefits are huge.
Another advantage of Implant Bridges is that some natural teeth can be kept. Keeping some natural teeth is a huge benefit because natural teeth allow us to feel how hard we are biting. Implants do not have any nerve endings, so although they look like natural teeth, and stay in place like natural teeth, they feel like something is missing – and the missing piece is that a person cannot tell when teeth are touching each other. I would highly recommend keeping some natural teeth, when at all possible, and only replacing the missing teeth.
FAQ’S
There will be a lot of time to allot on pre-surgical planning and surgical precision, but you can expect to get superior results. Your bones will be kept intact, while keeping your gum tissues healthy! Anesthesia will also be given to ensure a smooth sailing procedure.
An implant-supported bridge can be best suited for patients that need multiple teeth replacement.
Recovery for full mouth implant bridges may take a few days, where you may feel some pain due to swelling. It should subside within a week.
Implant-supported bridges keep your bone intact. You get to restore your smile to its best state by having replacement teeth directly over your lost set of teeth.
A good candidate for an implant-supported bridge would be someone who has a healthy gum condition and enough jawbone material.