The Surgery Phase: "All On 4" Dental Implants

For most patients, this phase involves the extractions, bone graft (if necessary), bone re-contouring (if necessary) and the surgical placement of the 4 dental implants per upper and / or lower arch. The "All On 4" patient receives an immediate implant-supported restoration, as the provisional teeth are placed onto the implants immediately following surgery — ONE-visit! Patients typically resume a full schedule of activities within 24 to 72 hours. Generally speaking, follow-up visits are 1, 4 and 12 weeks after surgery.  Specific post operative instructions will vary on a case by case basis.

A Typical Treatment Timeline

• 8am — IV Sedation Administration
• 9am — Extractions, Bone Recontouring, Bone Grafting (if necessary), Implant Placements
• 11pm — The Replacement Teeth Are Immediately Loaded For Immediate Function
• 12pm — Refinements
• 2pm — Post Operative

Generally speaking, the more experienced office knows that this procedure is ideally performed when the patient is completely sedated with the administration of IV sedation — complete comfort.  Be sure to inquire about the type of sedation and who will be administering this sedation.  Most comprehensive dental implant centers only utilize the expertise of board certified Anesthesiologists to administer deep IV sedation.

What To Eat After Surgery

A modified diet is required until you receive your final fixed titanium reinforced framework. The time line will be determined by your clinician, but is normally about 4 to 6 months. In the mean time, you can eat anything that can be cut with a fork, and does not involve biting or tearing with your front teeth. Some examples are hamburgers, salmon, pasta, cooked vegetables, etc. Avoid hard foods and foods that require tearing such as hard breads, pizza, carrots, corn on the cob, steak, and crunchy and sticky snacks treats such as nuts, hard candy and gum.