England 17/05/2013 – Dental implants are growing in popularity, especially since the introduction of a new system called allon4.
Up until about a decade ago, finding an implant dentist was tricky. Most UK dentists did not carry out implant procedures, not even cosmetic dentists.
Implants were complex and time consuming to fit. Fitting them required the person having them fitted to visit the clinic numerous times, and the whole process took weeks. Sometimes, if there was inflammation in the gums it could take months to fit a complete set of implants.
However, as word spread about the advantages of implants over dentures patients began to ask their dentists about implants. They started to actively seek out dentists who could carry out implants.
This coupled with the development of new materials and faster techniques allowed dentists to hone the process. In time, it was possible to offer dental implants at a price that was within the reach of a significant proportion of the population. Demand snowballed, and prices fell further.
However, despite this not all patients wanted to take the plunge. The fitting process still had to take place over the course of several weeks, and a lot of holes had to be drilled into the jaw line to accommodate the implants. The thought of this put many patients off the procedure.
Fortunately, a group of developers at Nobel Biocare and a Portuguese dentist called Paulo Maló felt that they could come up with a better system. They realised that a full set or upper or lower teeth could be attached by making just four holes in each jaw. During the 1990s, they developed this idea and came up with the the all-on-4 dental implant technique.
The all on 4 technique appeals to more consumers
Quite early on dentists realised that this was the breakthrough, in implant technology, which they, and their clients, had been waiting for. Today, finding an Allon4 dentist is getting easier as more dentists learn the technique. The fact that only four connections are needed makes the process of having dental implants fitted less daunting, so more and more patients are taking the plunge. They are throwing away their dentures and having implants fitted instead.