Full Mouth Dental Implants

It’s estimated that 178 million Americans are missing at least one tooth, and about 40 million Americans are missing all of their teeth. The reasons vary from tooth decay, periodontal disease, or trauma. More and more patients are turning to dental implants to solve their missing teeth problems, including All-on-4® dental implants. At Agoura Hills Oral Surgery, our oral & maxillofacial surgeons provide a wide range of implant surgery options. They range from a single dental implant to full mouth restorations, using either individual implants to replace one missing tooth or All-on-4 implants to replace multiple teeth. Call our office or schedule a consultation online today.

What are Full Mouth Dental Implants?

Full Mouth Implants are sometimes referred to as hybrid dentures. They consist of a full arch of artificial teeth that are secured to your jaw with just four implanted posts.

While the process for getting individual dental implants can take several months, in many cases, our surgeons can place your Full Mouth Implants in a single day.

This is a good option if you have multiple teeth that need replacing, such as full mouth implants.

At your first visit, your oral surgeon will take a CBCT scan and X-rays of your mouth.

Dental implants require sufficient jawbone strength and density to support the implant. If your bone isn’t strong enough, there are two options that can still make dental implants possible.

The Agoura Hills Oral Surgery team can perform a bone graft prior to the implant placement to help strengthen your jawbone. This is often necessary when the implant is to be placed in the maxilla (upper jaw) towards the back of the mouth.

The bone may be limited there because of the maxillary sinus (air-filled space found in the bones of the face). A small surgical procedure called a sinus lift can be performed to raise the sinus floor and graft more bone into the sinus.

Your oral surgery specialist may also use small-diameter implants, or mini implants, which require less support from the bone structure.

Once the bone density is sufficient for dental implants, your provider will perform dental implant surgery.

The surgeon will then place the implant screw into the jawbone and stitch your gums up around it.

You can use local anesthesia and sedation if you choose. The healing process can take 3 to 6 months until the dental implants integrate with the surrounding bone.

When your implant is fully secured, you'll return to the office so your surgeon can attach the abutment and the crown will be completed by your general surgeon.

Dental implant treatment is becoming the gold standard tooth replacement procedure.

The oral surgeons at Agoura Hills Oral Surgery give several reasons to choose dental implants over other dental prosthetics or leaving an empty space where your tooth used to be.

Some of these include:

Improved appearance

Dental implants are made to look and feel like real teeth. They integrate into the bone structure and become permanent.

Improved speech

A removable denture that’s poorly fitted will slip around in the mouth, causing you to mumble or slur your words. You don’t need to worry about that happening with dental implants.

Improved comfort

Their rigidity eliminates the discomfort that can be caused by removable dentures.

Confidence eating

Dental implants function like your own teeth, allowing you to eat crispy or crunchy foods with confidence and without discomfort.

Improved self-esteem

Dental implants look like real teeth. You can smile again with confidence, helping you to feel better about yourself.

Improved oral health

You don’t need to reduce other teeth like you do when fitting a tooth-supported bridge.

Because adjacent teeth are left intact, a dental implant will improve long-term oral health. An individual dental implant also allows easier access between adjacent teeth, improving oral hygiene.

Durability

Implants use materials that will last many years. If you take care of them well, they could last a lifetime.

Convenience

Removable dentures are not the easiest solution to live with. Dental implants don’t need to be removed nor need messy adhesives to hold them in place. You only need to care for them, just like your natural teeth.

Prevent Bone Loss

A lack of stimulation to the jawbone because of missing teeth can cause the bone to weaken. Using implants will restore bone strength through the stimulus of the artificial roots.

Can anyone get dental implants?

If you are healthy enough to undergo a routine dental extraction or oral surgery, then you can be considered for a dental implant.

You must also have healthy gums and enough bone to hold the implant. You should also be prepared to maintain good oral hygiene and have regular dental visits.

If you smoke or suffer from uncontrolled chronic disorders, such as diabetes or heart disease, or have had radiation therapy to the head/neck area, then you will need to be evaluated on an individual basis.

Are dental implants permanent?

Dental implants cannot strictly be called permanent, but they are considered the most permanent solution for dental loss.

Unlike dentures that can be taken out, dental implants stay in your mouth the whole time. Dental implants don’t move around in your mouth since they have a strong bond with your jawbone.

Dentures may sometimes need to be replaced every five to eight years. However, if you look after your dental implants, they could last well over 25 years. Cleaning your full mouth implants dental implants properly can help them last a very long time.

Will dental implants stop bone loss?

Like all cells, bone cells eventually grow old and need to be replaced. In normal circumstances, natural teeth help to stimulate bone growth in the jaw.

The roots of natural teeth are attached to the jawbone, and as we chew our food, the pressure exerted passes through to the jaw and encourages new growth.

However, when you are missing a single tooth or teeth, the jawbone can weaken in that area.

Dental implants can help in this regard, and this is one of the main reasons why dental implants are considered by dental specialists as the best option in replacing teeth.

The titanium posts exert the needed pressure on your jaw to stimulate bone growth. Without this, your existing teeth could become crooked and even fall out.

What are dental implants made of?

Scientists have discovered that titanium has certain properties that allow the bone to fuse together with it, making a strong bond. Therefore, most dental implants have a titanium implant fixture.

They make up the part that mimics the roots, screw-like parts that fuse to the jawbone in a process called osseointegration. This provides a strong foundation for the dental crown that fits on the top.

The crowns are usually made from porcelain or another strong tooth-colored material.