Teeth play a massive role when it comes to oral health and overall well-being. Missing teeth can have an impact on quality of life. Not only will it affect your smile, but it can make chewing food harder and cause issues with speech.
Fortunately, for people with missing or damaged teeth, restorative dentistry can be life-changing. One particular dental solution for missing teeth, the All-on-4® concept, has been revolutionary for the field.
All-on-4® allows for replacing an entire arch of teeth using only four strategically placed implants in either the upper or lower jawbone. Two implants are placed at the front of the jaw, while the two at the back are at a strategic 45-degree angle.
This unique placement allows implants to be inserted into the strongest parts of the jawbone with the most bone density. This also allows the All-on-4® implants to be used in situations where an individual has jawbone atrophy and avoids the need for other preparatory procedures, like bone grafting.
Like all surgical procedures, the success of All-on-4® relies on treatment planning. Technology, like scans and preoperative planning, plays a crucial role in the outcome of the All-on-4® treatment. The preparation ensures the procedure is as precise, predictable, and safe as possible.
Why Preoperative Planning is Important
Preoperative planning is like creating a roadmap for your All-on-4® journey. It plans out every step, allowing your dental team to:
Minimise risks
Preoperative planning is vital to minimising risk. It allows the dental team to identify and address any potential issues before implant placement, reducing the risk of complications.
Assess the patient
Conducting patient assessments in the preoperative phase is important for assessing candidacy, predicting outcomes, and preventing common complications. In the planning phase, a dental team typically reviews the patient's dental and medical history. It takes a comprehensive look at the patient’s bone structure, dental hygiene, and overall well-being.
Optimise implant placement
Preoperative planning allows for the dental team to optimise implant placement through the use of dental imaging. A strategically, well-planned placement will increase the chances of the implant being successful, avoiding complications, and a smooth osseointegration process.
Personalised treatment
Everyone’s mouth and smile are different. The preoperative planning phase allows the dentist to take the time to learn and understand your oral situation, taking a personalised approach to ensure the procedure meets your specific needs and goals.
Predict outcomes
A massive advantage of preoperative planning is that it allows your dentist to anticipate and predict outcomes. For example, if they expect any complications, they can devise strategies in advance to overcome them.
What’s Involved In Preoperative Planning?
The All-on-4® procedure is complex, requiring comprehensive preoperative planning. Each step of this plan is crucial to securing a positive outcome for the All-on-4® treatment and keeping the patient informed.
Consultation
The journey to getting All-on-4® implants starts with a consultation. During this consultation, an All-on-4® dental surgeon will conduct a thorough assessment to determine eligibility for the treatment.
The exact process will depend on the clinic, but typically, it includes the dental surgeon reviewing your medical and dental history, examining your oral health, and discussing treatment goals.
Dental imaging
Dental imaging is also a massive part of the planning process for All-on-4®. It gives the dentist a clear view of the entire mouth, from the teeth to the gums and jawbone. This is crucial for determining eligibility for the procedure, selecting dental implant placement, and designing the prosthesis. This is typically done during or after the initial consultation.
Patient education
The patient education step is critical to the planning phase. The dentist will educate the patient regarding the procedure, what to expect, the importance of follow-up appointments and aftercare routines.
Treatment planning
The dentist will also create a treatment plan detailing the different steps of the procedure, aftercare, timelines, and appointment times. Data show that thorough treatment plans lead to better dental health outcomes. It’s also a great opportunity for the patient to share their treatment goals and expectations.
The Technology Used In Pre-Op Planning
The All-on-4® treatment concept employs various technologies, including jawbone scans, digital impressions, and photographic imaging. This technology is crucial for a successful treatment outcome.
Jawbone scans
During the initial consultation for the All-on-4® treatment, the dentist will conduct jawbone scans to better understand the patient’s bone density and obtain a clearer picture of their jaw structure and teeth.
Digital impressions
Digital impression technology is crucial for getting accurate and comfortable impressions of a patient’s oral structure. This is important for understanding the patient’s teeth and helps when constructing All-on-4® teeth.
Photographic imaging
Photographic imaging is also used in pre-op planning to obtain images of the patient’s teeth, gums, and overall mouth. This helps a dentist assess the facial/oral aesthetics and teeth arrangement for the bridge construction. It can also be used during patient education to help them understand the All-on-4® treatment and visualise the process.
How Treatment Planning Impacts the Outcome of All-on-4®
Treatment planning plays a crucial role in the outcome of the All-on-4® treatment. From selecting the implant sites to designing the prosthetic, treatment goals, and procedure schedule, planning is essential.
Dental imaging during the preoperative planning process is important for various reasons. These include:
- Selecting implant sites: The dental surgeon will use the scans taken during the preoperative planning phase to decide the ideal location for the implants. This decision is based on bone density and available bone volume, which can only be seen with advanced dental imaging technology. Misplacement can increase the risk of complications.
- Prosthetic design: The clinic also uses imaging technology to design dental prostheses. This way, they can personalise the prosthetic teeth to the patient’s mouth. If the prosthesis is poorly designed, it could be uncomfortable for the patient and feel unnatural.
The treatment plan is also important for managing patient expectations and the procedure schedule.
Start Your Journey To A New Smile With Next Smile Australia
Start your journey to getting a new set of teeth and smile with Next Smile Australia today. If you’re interested in All-on-4® implants, you can take our online suitability assessment or book a consultation with one of our All-on-4® dental surgeons today.
During this consultation, the All-on-4® dental surgeon will review your medical and dental history, use dental imaging to take scans of your jaw and chat about treatment goals. The dental surgeon will also go over the All-on-4® treatment timeline and give you a step-by-step overview of the process. This will give you a better idea of what to expect when it comes to post-surgery and aftercare.
If you want to learn more about All-on-4® before booking a consultation, we host regular webinars on the treatment. That way, you can find out more about Next Smile Australia and All-on-4® from the comfort of your own home.
If you have any questions regarding the All-on-4® process or want to book a consultation, contact us today. The Next Smile Australia team would love to hear from you.