Every surgery involves a recovery period, and the All-On-4® treatment is no different. Fortunately, recovering from All-On-4® is generally a quicker process than recovering from other restorative dental procedures and tends to be relatively painless by comparison. A procedure that provides you with a new smile in as little as 24 hours, All-On-4® recovery is a relatively straightforward process that lets you enjoy brand-new teeth even while you’re resting and healing.
If you haven’t heard of All-On-4® before, it’s an advanced form of restorative dentistry. Pioneered by Dr Paulo Malo in 1998, All-On-4® is very similar to traditional dental implants but with some significant differences. While traditional dental implants involve inserting a titanium screw into the jawbone to replace the roots of each missing tooth, All-On-4® rests an entirely new arch or bridge of natural-looking teeth on just four implants: two at the front and two at the back on either the upper or lower jawbone. All-On-4® has a 98% success rate, with hundreds of thousands of patients successfully treated already.
Missing teeth are very common in Australia, and the likelihood of losing all your teeth increases with age. Gum disease, injury and trauma, illness, poor dental hygiene and birth conditions are all common causes. But no matter how long you’ve been living with missing teeth, there’s still time for a fresh start. Next Smile Australia can provide you with a natural-looking new set of teeth that protects you from dental and health problems that arise from missing teeth long-term.
If you think you might be a likely candidate for All-On-4®, contact Next Smile Australia to book a consultation; or if the All-On-4® recovery is in your immediate future, there’s no need to worry. This is a short guide to your healing timeline and recommended aftercare procedures while recovering from All-On-4®.
All-On-4® Procedure Recovery Timeline
All-On-4® is a treatment designed for patients with many missing teeth, not just one or two, or as a denture alternative. If you have multiple missing teeth due to injury, illness or trauma, have advanced gum disease or can’t have your teeth restored by traditional means, there’s a high chance that the All-On-4® treatment is right for you.
If you’re approved for All-On-4®, the treatment process begins with a personal consultation with a Next Smile Australia dentist. The dentist will dive into your dental and medical history in order to come up with a treatment plan that meets your needs.
Next Smile Australia follows ‘the Malo Protocol’, Dr Malo’s own two-bridge treatment process, which has an established track record of success. During stage one of the process, you’ll receive your “provisional teeth”, or first set of teeth to wear for three to six months. These teeth will usually be ready immediately after your dental implant surgery or never more than 24 hours afterwards.
During your recovery period, your new implants will fuse with your jawbone in a process called ‘osseointegration’. While this happens, our technicians will be busy preparing your ‘final bridge’ – or final set of permanent teeth – using the highest quality material from our research partner Nobel Biocare.
You can expect some soreness and swelling in the first few days after surgery, and we recommend taking at least a couple of days off work. During the early days of recovery and in the weeks and months that follow, there are steps you can take to care for your new dental implants and make a relatively easy All-On-4® recovery more likely. The next section details various aftercare procedures when recovering from All-On-4®.
All-On-4® Aftercare
Once your final teeth are fitted, a simple aftercare regime will help make them last. While your All-On-4® implants will not be affected by tooth decay, you’ll still need to take care of them. Fortunately, this is quite easy, as you can brush your All-On-4® dental implants the same as you would your normal teeth. Here are some tips that will aid your All-On-4® recovery and prolong the life of your new dental implants:
Don’t brush or rinse your teeth for 24 hours after your surgery
If you do, you may interrupt the normal healing process that’s part of recovering from All-On-4®.
Clean your teeth with a soft bristle toothbrush
Brush your All-On-4® teeth twice a day with a soft bristle toothbrush all the way up to your gum line, the same way you would with your natural teeth. In the first two weeks after your surgery, use a minimal amount of pressure and avoid direct contact with the surgical sites.
After the first two weeks of All-On-4® recovery is over, you can resume the recommended cleaning routine for natural teeth: brushing twice a day, flossing at least once a day, rinsing after every meal and, if your dentist recommends it, using an antibacterial mouthwash.
Eat a soft food diet and avoid hot drinks
You should avoid hot food and drinks for the first couple of days after your dental implant surgery as your mouth is still likely to be numb from the anaesthetic. The first few days after your surgery, stick to soft and blended foods. Avoid hard or crunchy foods for at least 12 weeks during your All-On-4® recovery.
Don’t smoke or vape
It’s important to avoid smoking or vaping for the first three months after the procedure as it can dry out the tissues in your gums, cause bleeding and generally delay your All-On-4® recovery.
See your dentist regularly
Even though your teeth won’t decay, you should still see your dentist at least twice a year for a scheduled check-up and clean.
All-On-4® Recovery Vs Traditional Dental Implants
All-On-4® is different from traditional dental implants in a variety of ways, including
Shorter treatment time
The process of getting traditional dental implants can stretch out for many months, sometimes even close to a year, and require multiple appointments. All-On-4®, on the other hand, provides you with a new smile in a mere 24 hours.
Shorter recovery time
All-On-4® typically has a far briefer recovery time than traditional dental implants, largely due to the fact that the procedure can support an entire arch of teeth on only four implants in the upper or lower jawbone and avoids a long healing process.
No dental bone grafting is required
If your jawbone is weakened or lacks sufficient mass to support traditional dental implants, dental bone grafting may be required. All-On-4® is designed to avoid the need for bone grafting entirely by targeting stronger areas of the jawbone. This makes for faster All-On-4® recovery.
Book a Consultation at Next Smile Australia
Next Smile Australia will guide you through the process of your All-On-4® treatment in a helpful, empathetic and personalised way – and in a safe, professional, medically regulated environment.
In our in-house laboratories, our technicians create the highest-quality prosthetic teeth from Nobel Biocare materials tailored to your treatment plan. At one of our industry-leading Super Clinics around the country, you’ll be able to attend all of your appointments under one roof including the appointment for your surgery, which will take place in one of our state-of-the-art, hygienic and hospital-grade surgical rooms.
To find out more information about the All-On-4® procedure and to book a personal consultation, contact Next Smile Australia.