In our previous article post onAll on Four implants, we began a comparison between the teeth replacement solutions provided by this revolutionary procedure and traditional removable dentures or false teeth. Our initial comparison in part 1 focused upon the differences in functionality and patient comfort. In this article, the second of a three-part series, we shall focus upon the differences between the smile aesthetics achieved by the All on Fournon-removable prosthetic dental bridge and removable dentures.

When you take a look at the customized dental bridge used in the All on Four protocol, the most immediate difference is that it lacks that additional bulk that removable dentures require in order to stabilize them in the mouth. Since the All on Four dental bridge is permanently secured in the mouth using dental implants, flanges – bulky peripheral areas – are not necessary. The flanges, while used to provide stability, actually press on the lips from the inside, making them look thin and stretched. This alone can add years onto a patient’s age. But when it comes to smile aesthetics, it is the unimpeded loss of bone volume in the jaw that really causes removable dentures to be a cosmetic death sentence.

Just like any muscle in the body, bone tissue requires ‘exercise’ or stimulation. The roots of our teeth transmit the mechanical forces associated with chewing, biting and grinding to the jaw bone, stimulating a healthy blood circulation to the tissue, keeping it alive and vital. With tooth loss, comes the loss of this stimulation causing the jaw bone to atrophy and waste away, resulting in that sunken and puckered facial appearance we typically associate with the elderly.

All on Four implants don’t just replace the tooth crowns, like removable dentures do; they replace the roots as well, which in turn restores the stimulation necessary to keep the jaw bone alive and healthy. In other words, All on Four implants essentially promote the health of the underlying jaw bone and by preventing atrophy, a patient’s natural and youthful facial contours are preserved. As it was previously mentioned, removable denture do nothing to prevent jaw bone atrophy and it is due to the loss of bone volume in the jaw that bridgework needs to be redone every few years ago. What might have fitted comfortably one year will inevitably become looser and looser, until eventually it requires expensive refitting.

In summary, the All on Four protocol gives patients a teeth replacement solution that is virtually indistinguishable from a full set of natural healthy teeth. Moreover, this solution affords patients a confident smile that is natural in both the short and long term thanks to the preservation of jaw bone health.

In the third and final article installment, we shall be looking at the difference between the costs and expenses associated with removable dentures versus that of the All on Four protocol.

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