Five Ways to Prepare for Your All-on-4 Implant Procedure
Healthy teeth make it easy to speak properly and chew your food comfortably. However, you may experience a lot of pain and have trouble with everyday tasks if your teeth aren’t in the best shape. All-on-4 implants are a great solution for individuals who want beautiful and functional prosthetic teeth without extensive bone grafts. You want a comfortable mouth, so you should check out this helpful guide on all-on-4 implants to learn more about them and find out how to prepare for your surgery.
What are All-on-4 Implants?
An all-on-4 implant procedure allows dentists to install permanent dentures using four screw mounts per jaw. The dentist attaches four metal mounts to your jaw through your gum sockets. After that, they attach temporary removable dentures until they can make a custom set that perfectly fits your mouth.
Installing all-on-4 implants is a very quick procedure. In most cases, patients are able to leave with their implants within hours of entering the dentist’s office. Because all-on-4 implants require only four mounts for a full set of teeth on each jaw, they are less likely to require bone grafts than other kinds of dental implants.
Should You Undergo the Procedure if You Still Have Some Healthy Teeth?
For all-on-4 implants to work, the dentist must remove all of the teeth from the jaw where the implants are being installed. Thus, if one jaw has many healthy teeth, then you may not want to get all-on-4 implants on that jaw. However, you can still get all-on-4 implants on the other jaw if it has only a few healthy teeth. You should ask for your dentist’s opinion about the state of your teeth before considering all-on-4 implants. You may have many healthy teeth now. However, you may still want to have the dentist extract them if they are unlikely to remain healthy in the long run.
Does the All-on-4 Implant Procedure Hurt?
During your surgery, the dentist will either apply a local anesthetic or put you under general anesthesia, so you shouldn’t feel much pain. You may feel mild pain in the weeks following the procedure. However, your dentist will likely prescribe a pain reliever to alleviate your discomfort. Following your dentist’s instructions after the surgery is paramount if you want to avoid painful complications.
How Can You Prepare for Dental Implants?
Stock Up on Suitable Food Items
For a few days after your procedure, you will have to eat soft foods to allow your mouth to heal. Good foods to stock up on include scrambled eggs, applesauce, pudding, protein shakes, and soups. Foods that are too spicy, salty, or acidic may irritate your mouth in the days after your surgery, so you should opt for milder flavors instead.
Arrange Time Off and Set Up a Ride
Although dental implants only take a few hours to install, you shouldn’t return to work immediately after your surgery. Ideally, you should schedule a few days off so that you can attend your surgery and recuperate afterward. You will be in no state to drive after your procedure, so you will need to arrange rides to and from the dentist’s office in advance. Make sure that you have some alternatives ready just in case your ride unexpectedly cancels or doesn’t show up.
Get Aftercare Supplies
Your dentist will likely prescribe a suitable pain medication and supply a few aftercare basics. However, you still need to get a few more things to make sure that you don’t aggravate your mouth after the procedure. A soft toothbrush and an irrigation syringe are vital immediately following your surgery. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time in bed for a few days, you should also make sure that you have clean bedding, a comfortable pillow, and a few good movies or shows to catch up on.
Inform Your Dentist About Medications
Some prescriptions can interfere with local anesthetics, general anesthesia, and pain medications. Failure to tell your dentist about your medications could end up leading to a bad drug interaction. Most patients must fast before undergoing the all-on-4 procedure. However, certain conditions require patients to take their medications with small amounts of food or water. Once your dentist knows about your medications, they will provide you with a solution that will allow you to properly take your medications before the procedure without affecting the outcome of your surgery.
Wear Loose-Fitting Clothes
Loose clothing will allow your blood to flow more easily so that you don’t lose circulation to any part of your body during your surgery. If you require general anesthesia, then loose-fitting clothes will make it easier for the anesthesiologist to find a vein. You may be a little woozy after general anesthesia, so it’s also a good idea to wear loose clothing to move around more easily.
How Long Does It Take To Recover?
You will need to get a lot of rest and stay at home for a few days after your surgery. Avoid exercise and strenuous activity as much as possible in the week after your procedure. Your mouth should feel completely normal within two weeks of your surgery. It takes up to six months for your dental implants to fully bond with your jaw. You should expect to attend intermittent checkups with your dentist during this time. After this period, your dentist will remove your temporary dentures, take molds of your gums, and put the temporary dentures back in place. They will use these molds to construct form-fitting prosthetics, which they should install within a few months.
What if You’re Not a Suitable Candidate?
Your age, health, bone density, medications, and several other factors may make you an unsuitable candidate for all-on-4 implants. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other solutions available. Other kinds of dental implants may work better for you, or you may benefit more from a set of high-quality removable dentures. No matter what, your dentist will speak with you, answer your questions, and listen to your concerns to help you find the optimal solution for your unique situation.
Learn More From the Professionals at OP Dental Care
Good teeth are a crucial part of a happy and healthy life. You shouldn’t have to endure oral pain, nor should you need to avoid certain foods. All-on-4 implants are an easy yet effective way to enjoy a better life, so if you’re thinking about getting dental implants, then you should call the best all on 4 dentist in Phoenix AZ today to explore your options.
