All-on-4® Dental Implants vs. Dentures: Which Is Right for Me?

Full-mouth restoration with All-on-4® dental implants is an alternative to removable dentures for replacing an entire arch of upper or lower missing teeth. This article compares All-on-4® dental implants and dentures, including the procedures, prosthesis function, comfort, and long-term cost.

How Do All-on-4® Dental Implants and Denture Procedures Compare?

Getting All-on-4® dental implants requires oral surgery to complete your smile, but getting traditional dentures does not.

All-on-4® Dental Implants Procedure

Four surgically placed dental implants near the fronts of your upper and lower jawbone will fuse with the bone to anchor your dentures and complete your smile. You will have several months of dental implant healing before your dentist attaches your final denture to the implants.

Traditional Dentures Procedure

You may require tooth extractions before getting removable dentures, but you will not need surgery to complete your smile. A lower denture will rest on your gums, and suction will keep an upper denture in place. 

What Are All-on-4® Dental Implants Benefits vs. Dentures?

All-on-4® dental implants are nonremovable and have the following benefits over traditional dentures:

• Stability – You will not need denture relines and adhesives because All-on-4® dental implants fit precisely.
• Comfort – Dentures anchored to dental implants fit better and feel more like natural teeth than traditional dentures.
• Speech – Implant dentures help you speak clearly without the clicking, slipping, and sliding that comes with traditional dentures.
• Eating – A September 2022 article in The Journal of Clinical Periodontology published ten-year randomized controlled trial results on implant-supported dentures. Patients who had switched from removable dentures to implant-supported dentures reported improved chewing ability of soft, tough, and hard food.
• Jawbone Preservation – Dental implants help prevent bone loss and premature facial sagging from missing teeth.
• Maintenance – Cleaning All-on-4® dental implants is like caring for natural teeth, with no overnight denture removal and soaking.
• Cost – All-on-4® dental implants cost more but outlast removable dentures by 15 years or more. Every five to seven years, you may need a new denture while experiencing challenges with denture fit as your jawbone resorbs.

Are You a Candidate for All-on-4® Dental Implants or Dentures?

All-on-4® dental implants require you to be healthy enough for oral surgery. Also, you must be free of gum disease or have the condition well-controlled to help your gums and jawbone heal around the implants. Otherwise, traditional removable dentures may be your only option.

Full-mouth Reconstruction with All-on-4® Dental Implants

Full-mouth reconstruction with All-on-4® dental implants can improve denture comfort and function and outlast removable dentures. Your oral health, preferences, and a specialist’s recommendations can help you decide which option is best. The doctors at Periodontal and Implant Surgeons of Houston can accurately evaluate your oral health and determine whether you can benefit from the All-on-4® treatment concept. Read our All-on-4® dental implants page for more information about the technique.