All-on-4 & Full-Arch Restoration in Bethlehem, PA

All-on-4 replaces a full upper or lower set of teeth on four to six implants rather than one implant per tooth. At Always About Smiles, our Bethlehem, PA dental office, our experienced oral surgery team places the implants and I design and deliver the full arch of teeth that attaches to them.

A full arch of teeth doesn't need an implant for every tooth. Four implants, sometimes six, are placed where the bone is strongest, and the whole set of teeth is built to sit on them. In fact, it is possible to replace all of the lower teeth with an overdenture that is supported by only 2-4 implants. Fewer implants means fewer appointments and a shorter road.

By preventing jawbone loss that would normally occur after removal of teeth, your facial structures remain normal and intact. Loss of bone results in the lower part of the face appearing collapsed or sunken. This sunken look makes a person look older than they should. As the face collapses and wrinkles from a loss of bone height in the jaws, the chin and nose will get closer together giving a person an overclosed or aged look. Dental implants will preserve the bone levels, and soft tissue, cheeks, lips and chin will keep their volume. That is the part a set of dentures resting on the gums can't do, and it's the reason I'd rather put a full arch on implants.

Our experienced oral surgery team places the implants and I design and deliver the teeth that attach to them. Before any of that, I take impressions, photographs and x-rays and work out what the finished set has to look like and how it has to meet the other jaw. That design is what the surgical plan follows, not the other way around. Patients drive in from Allentown for it.

All-on-4 is a way of replacing a whole upper or lower set of teeth on four implants instead of one for every tooth. The implants go where the bone is strongest, and a single arch of teeth is made to attach to all four. All-on-6 does the same work with six implants, which suits some mouths better.

All-on-4 is quoted in two parts: I quote the arch of teeth and the restorative work, and the oral surgery team quotes the implant placement. You hold both figures before anything starts. The only way to determine the actual cost is by coming in for a consultation and examination to find out if you have bone loss, how many you will need, and what type of implant. Financing is available.

Plan on three to nine months from the first appointment to the finished teeth. You will notice a difference almost immediately. However, the entire process can take anywhere between 3-9 months to complete. This depends on the type and quantity of implants you need along with the quality of bone in which the implants are placed. You are not without teeth in the meantime.

Comfort is planned appointment by appointment rather than left to chance. A super numbing gel goes on before any anesthetic, and I buffer the anesthetic chair-side, which brings it closer to your body's own neutral pH and makes the numbness more rapid and profound for your comfort. Nitrous oxide is there if you'd like it, and OraVerse, a novocaine-reversing agent, can return the area to normal sensation when we're done.

The implants are meant for decades. Most research has shown that implants have been successful for over 30 years, and our goal is to make them so they last a lifetime. The teeth attached to them are serviceable and replaceable, and porcelain work carries a five-year warranty against fracture with normal use under our Peace of Mind Limited Dental Warranty, when you follow our recommendations for care, cleanings, and treatment.

Often, yes — that's much of the reason the technique exists. Quality and quantity of available bone for implant placement is more often a factor in qualifying for dental implants than medical conditions. However, even people who have lost significant amount of bone can qualify for dental implant treatment with additional procedures to add bone or create new bone.