Teeth In A Day - The Real Truth About Dental Implants

First, dental implants are used as a substitution for tooth roots in areas of the mouth where teeth are missing. The implant is placed in the root to provide a stable foundation for a replacement crown to allow you to bite and chew comfortably and naturally. When teeth are missing, the bone that previously supported those teeth deteriorates. But, the bone can be preserved by replacing missing tooth roots with dental implants. The bone will form a strong bond to the artificial implant and will provide stimulation for the bone.
Implant Supercenters promise what is called "Teeth-in-a-day" or "All-on-4" where the entire top arch of the mouth is supported by only four implants. An experienced clinician would normally recommend the traditional implant method versus doing an "All-on-4" at a Implant Supercenter because the amount of bone needed to support an entire arch of teeth is substantial if you are only using four implants. Because of the amount of bone needed for an "All-on-4" procedure, patients who have worn dentures for an extended period of time are rarely candidates for it. While traditional treatment for upper arches requires at least four implants, lower dentures can be replaced and supported by as little as two implants.

In addition to long-term denture wearers there are others who are not candidates for these "teeth-in-a-day" procedures. Typically those with significant bone loss will be recommended to go the traditional implant route. Bone grafting is often required for bone loss patients in order to achieve the best esthetic and functional results.
If you haven't been wearing dentures for years and do not have significant bone loss then supercenters may still be able to provide you with adequate treatment but the idea that you can receive your teeth in one day is quite a stretch. While the surgical procedures and temporary replacements of the teeth might be done in a single day, the diagnostics and treatment planning for those teeth can take several weeks. In addition, most supercenters do not provide the final replacement teeth for up to 8 months. Not to mention that the fitting for the final prosthesis might be an additional charge.
A common question is whether or not patients must live without teeth during this extended process. The answer is no. Never will you be without teeth. Today's technologies provide natural-looking removable as well as fixed options during your treatment to ensure the best comfort and confidence for the patient.
Lastly, "Teeth-in-a-day" are not provided exclusively by Implant supercenters. If you are interested your dentist can tell you if you are a candidate and could provide the same services at a much lower cost to you. And while there is documentation proving the success rates of teeth-in-a-day procedures for the last ten years they do not prove to be higher or more successful than the traditional implant treatments whose documentation proves successful treatments for more than 50 years.

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