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All on 6 Dental Implants in San Francisco
Full Mouth Dental Implants in San Francisco
While a single implant can support one missing tooth, multiple can be used to replace even more. Dr. Mathai at Lands End Dental in San Francisco is an expert implant dentist and will help you find out what type of implant-borne prosthesis makes the most sense for you.
"ALL ON 6" Hybrid Dentures in San Francisco
Hybrid dentures are so-called because they meld concepts of dentures and bridges in one. They are commonly referred to as an "all on 6" or "all on 4" procedure, as typically only 4-6 implants are needed to replace a full row of missing teeth. They involve placing multiple implants in one jaw and affixing a screwed-in set of teeth to them.
Because they aren't removable by you, the patient, they are considered the most stable form of tooth replacement. Because the teeth get their stability from the implants entirely, they are also able to be much sleeker and occupy far less intra-oral space than a traditional denture.
All on X is the name given to the treatment as a family rather than to any one version of it, and the X stands for the number of implants used to carry the arch, which in practice is either four or six. Dr. Mathai provides both, and which of them suits you is settled at the consultation rather than beforehand.
Why patients choose a fixed bridge
Because the bridge is secured to the implants rather than resting on the gum, it stays where it is while you eat, and you clean it in much the way you would clean natural teeth.
Where the implants are stable enough on the day, a fixed temporary bridge is fitted at the same visit, so most patients do not spend the healing months without teeth.
Implants also carry chewing pressure down into the jawbone in the way that natural roots do, which slows the bone loss that follows tooth loss and that a conventional denture tends to make worse.
All on 4 or All on 6?
Both treatments replace a full arch of teeth, and the difference between them comes down to how many implants carry the bridge. That depends on the bone available, the arch being treated, how much force your bite puts through it and how the bridge will be designed, which is why it is decided at the consultation rather than beforehand.
Implants per arch. All on 4 uses four, with the back pair angled to make use of the bone available. All on 6 uses six, spread more evenly across the arch.
Bone required. All on 4 needs less, and grafting can often be avoided. All on 6 needs more, and grafting may be needed first.
Often suits. All on 4 suits patients with bone loss toward the back of the jaw, where angled placement can avoid a graft. All on 6 suits patients with good bone across the arch, or a heavy bite.
Cost. Both are quoted per arch after the consultation. All on 6 uses two more implants, so it is usually the higher of the two.
What it costs
Every treatment plan is quoted after a consultation, once the team has seen your jaw and bone. What moves a quote is whether teeth need to be removed first, whether the bone needs grafting, which material the final bridge is made from, and whether one arch is being treated or both.
All on 4. The quote is per arch and covers the implants, the abutments, the temporary bridge and the final fixed bridge. The surgeon's fee for placing the implants is quoted separately.
All on 6. The quote is per arch and adds two further implants, plus grafting where the bone calls for it.
Paying for it. Payment options are discussed at the consultation. Patients without PPO insurance can join the practice's Dental Discount Plan.
How the treatment runs
Consultation. The jaw is imaged and assessed for how much bone there is to work with, and we confirm whether four implants or six will suit you better.
Placement day. Any teeth scheduled for removal are taken out, the implants are placed by the oral surgeon Dr. Mathai works with, and where they are stable enough a fixed temporary bridge is fitted before you leave. Dr. Mathai plans the treatment and provides the temporary and final bridge.
Healing. A few months while the implants integrate with the bone, and you wear the fixed temporary throughout.
Final bridge. The permanent bridge is fitted last of all, matched to your face, your bite and the shade you have chosen.
HYBRID PROSTHESES or All on 6/all on 4 Dentures: Before and Afters by Dr. mathai
Before
Before
Before
Frequently Asked Questions about getting all on x dentures
This treatment is an excellent choice for those looking at needing many teeth replaced but not wanting to lose the feeling of having teeth fixed in their mouth.
If you are someone who requires ongoing, extensive work to many teeth at a time, replacing them all in one step with implants may also be the most comfortable and stable dental solution. Your dentist at Lands End Dental will carefully consider your options to help you decide.
Though the time needed for implants to integrate is far longer than a day (usually 3-4 months), this protocol is often called "teeth in a day" or advertised this way because we can make a full set of fixed, temporary teeth the day of surgery. These temporaries do NOT come out of your mouth and usually look even better than your originals!
The total process from beginning to end usually takes a minimum of 4 months from surgery to final restoration. One of the most appealing aspects of this procedure is that we can typically place a fixed temporary set of teeth in your mouth at the time of surgery while you wait.
Later, once the implants are healed, we can make the permanent teeth. This is necessary because implants require some time to fully integrate into your jaw and become strong enough to support your bite. The meticulous laboratory and dental work needed to reconstruct your bite also requires several visits to our office.
Routine maintenance involves cleaning them daily as you would your own teeth, but with some special considerations. Using a waterpik and special tools to clean underneath the row of teeth is imperative to avoid plaque buildup there, as is routine maintenance with the dental clinic to make sure the implants remain healthy. At times the prosthesis will need to be removed to better assess the implants and clean them.
Depending on how you care for them, the teeth may need refurbishment after several years of daily service.
Every plan is quoted individually after a consultation. The figure moves according to whether teeth need removing, whether the bone needs grafting, which material the bridge is made from, and whether one arch is treated or both. You receive a written plan with the cost of each stage before anything begins.
Dental plans vary in what they contribute. After your first visit we send a preauthorization to your insurer for an estimate of what it will cover. That estimate comes from the insurer and is not a guarantee, and any balance after insurance is owed to the practice. Patients without PPO insurance can join the practice's Dental Discount Plan.
IMPLANT OVERDENTURES
As few as one dental implant can improve the stability of a complete or partial denture. Overdentures contain attachments placed on the underside of the dentures or partial dentures that "snap" onto implants placed in the areas of missing teeth. The dentures are still removable by you to clean, but now have significantly more retention.
This is an excellent option for those hoping to upgrade their existing removable denture or those with limited physical ability to have multiple implants placed in their mouth.
Traditional dentures rely on either suction alone or hooking onto a few existing teeth to gain stability. This can be problematic if the remaining teeth are loose or if the jaws lack surface area for retention. Most people's lower jaws, for example, lack sufficient retention for a traditional denture. The standard of care is to use one or two implants to make them usable.
Questions about All on 6?
You leave with a written plan and the cost of each stage.
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