Foothill Center for Dental Implants and Oral Surgery is an established oral surgery practice that offers a variety of effective, high-quality procedures, including the All-on-4® treatment concept. Pasadena patients choose our practice or are referred by their general dentist because of our advanced training in surgical processes and the excellent care we provide.
With the All-on-4® treatment concept, patients in Pasadena benefit from a new approach to dental implants. Implants have long been an effective means for replacing missing or damaged teeth with new, natural-looking teeth. However, the All-on-4® treatment concept reduces the cost and time involved in the process, is suitable for more people than traditional dental implants, and provides a same-day solution.
About Dental Implants and the All-on-4® Treatment Concept
With traditional implants, Dr. Chan creates a new, artificial tooth root. This root sits below the gum line and prevents bone resorption, which often occurs in the area of missing teeth. Patients wear temporary replacement teeth that attach to the implants. They return for a series of follow-up appointments, the goal of which is to connect the final replacement teeth to the implants.
This process can be lengthy for a patient who is replacing all of the upper and/or lower teeth. Also, patients who have already experienced bone resorption may not have enough bone mass to be good candidates for typical dental implants without bone graft procedures.
The All-on-4® treatment concept offers a new way. Like traditional implants, it also uses artificial tooth roots, but instead of attaching a single tooth to an implant, Dr. Chan creates four to five specially placed implants. These connect to an entire lower or upper set of teeth: a screw-retained, permanent replacement.
Meet Board Certified Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
Dr. Christopher Chan
At Foothill Center for Dental Implants and Oral Surgery, exceptional patient care is our top priority.
Dr. Christopher Chan, Board Certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, exemplifies this commitment. He is a fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and a member of the California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, while maintaining active hospital privileges at Huntington Hospital.
His advanced specialty training and affiliations promote the highest standards of patient comfort, safety, and care. Following your procedure, you will receive Dr. Chan’s personal phone number for any questions or concerns. Our friendly and well-trained team will guide you through each step, making your experience as comfortable and stress-free as possible.
What Are The Benefits Of All-On-4®?
- Replace all of your missing or bad teeth with a permanent option, so you can enjoy a normal diet and smile with confidence.
- The entire procedure (tooth removal and placement of dental implants) can be done in 1 procedure, and you can go home with teeth in your mouth.
- Avoid multiple procedures and major bone grafting, minimizing recovery time.
Immediate Results
The implant and cap procedures occur at different appointments in a typical dental implant procedure. This gives the implant time to grow stronger after Dr. Chan has placed it. Between those procedures, you would wear temporary replacement teeth.
The All-on-4® treatment concept is different. Pasadena patients with the procedure can replace their entire lower and/or upper set of teeth in a single day. They can use these teeth immediately as though they were natural teeth.
Flexibility
The typical implant process requires multiple dental implants throughout the jaw. Not every patient has enough bone mass, however. Over time, people can lose bone in the area of their missing teeth. As a result, the implant may not have a proper foundation to take hold without additional bone graft procedures and integration periods.
The All-on-4® treatment concept can help Pasadena patients even if they lack bone mass in the dental implant area. The approach uses four to five specially positioned implants that provide strength and stability (rather than the larger number of implants the typical approach can require.)
Time Savings
Bone graft procedures mean Pasadena patients have to set up separate oral surgery procedures and wait until the grafts have fully integrated. This delays the entire dental implant process.
Fortunately, the All-on-4® treatment concept does not require bone grafts. Even if patients lack bone mass in a specific area of their jaw, they may still be good candidates for the procedure, and they will not be delayed for months before they can have their surgery.
Cost
Dental implants significantly improve function, appearance, and comfort for Pasadena patients with missing or decaying teeth. However, typical dental implants take time, require more implants in the jaw, and may involve additional procedures, such as bone grafts, which can increase the cost.
The All-on-4® treatment concept eliminates much of this expense. Patients only need four to five implants per arch and don’t require bone grafts, which saves them time and money.
Is the All-on-4® Treatment Concept Right for Me?
If you have major tooth loss or decay, you should consider the All-on-4® treatment concept. The approach replaces the entire set of upper and/or lower teeth. It uses four to five specially placed implants to attach a set of permanent, screw-retained hybrid replacements in your mouth. Since Dr. Chan uses fewer implants than in a typical dental implant surgery, even patients with bone loss in their jaw can benefit from the procedure.
Actual patient treated with the All-on-4® Treatment Concept
What Is Involved With the All-On-4® Process?
Consultation
To begin an All-on-4® treatment concept, Pasadena patients receive a preliminary consultation. During this consultation, Dr. Chan analyzes their dental arch, teeth, jaw, and smile to evaluate whether they are a good candidate for the procedure.
Planning
The restorative dentist then works with Dr. Chan at Foothill Center for Dental Implants and Oral Surgery to decide the recommended approach for their procedure. After special guides and temporary teeth are made, patients schedule the surgery with us.
Surgery
During an All-on-4® treatment concept, Dr. Chan removes the teeth from the patient’s dental arch and places the dental implants. The surgery takes about an hour and a half, and it can be performed under either IV sedation or local anesthesia. Our practice can offer the procedure at Huntington Ambulatory Surgery Center for the patient’s comfort if needed.
Attachment
The All-on-4® treatment concept offers Pasadena patients a same-day solution. A few hours after the implants are placed, the restorative dentist can connect new, transitional teeth.
Follow-up
These patients will use these transitional teeth for four to five months as their implants strengthen. At the end of that period, the restorative dentist trades these teeth for a set of permanent crowns.
Restore Your Smile and Confidence with All-on-4®
If you want an answer for your missing or decaying teeth, the All-on-4® treatment concept provides a solution that looks and feels like your own natural teeth and can last for years. To learn more and schedule your initial appointment, contact Foothill Center for Dental Implants and Oral Surgery in Pasadena at (626) 792-3161.
