Full-Arch Implants Brisbane – Effective Full Mouth Rehabilitation
Full Mouth Restorations
Whatever the reason, things in the mouth have often deteriorated to the point where there are very few salvageable teeth (and there is no longer any reason to try and keep the remaining teeth), or there are situations where there are no longer any teeth remaining. At Balmoral Dental Centre, you will be treated and not judged. We are here to help restore function and aesthetics at a reasonable budget for you.
Whether you opt for full-arch dental implants or an alternative mouth implant rehabilitation option, our Balmoral team will ensure that we have someone right for the job at every point of your dental journey. Book an appointment for dental implants in Brisbane.
Planning for full mouth tooth implant
Whether a Brisbane patient has full-arch dental implants or an overdenture, starting with the correct treatment plan is key.
First, our Brisbane dentist will assess your existing dentition to verify that they are beyond help and that having them removed (if you still have teeth remaining) is the best course of action.
A 3D scan of the mouth is completed to check for infections and bone volumes. We will then discuss with you the desired result and outcomes.
Whether a Brisbane patient has All on 4 dental implants or an overdenture, starting with the correct treatment plan is key.
First, our Brisbane dentist will assess your existing dentition to verify that they are beyond help and that having them removed (if you still have teeth remaining) is the best course of action.
A 3D scan of the mouth is completed to check for infections and bone volumes. We will then discuss with you the desired result and outcomes.
Hygiene Phase
Before any significant work is commenced (assuming that only one jaw requires rehabilitation), the other arch will require maintenance. Dr Kieren will look after you to ensure that there is absolutely no presence of gum disease or active decay.
Planning the bite and aesthetics
Before your dental surgery, Dr Paul Abbot (our Brisbane Dental Prosthetist) will examine your mouth to measure the width of your jaw, decide how your teeth should look, and where the bite should fit.
Next, a set of temporary dentures are made. These will help determine the size and proportion of the teeth and where they should be positioned to ensure a good fit and natural-looking aesthetic. You will also wear these dentures for function and aesthetics whilst we are waiting for your implants to heal during the recovery phases.
Surgery phase
Dr Sae Mi Bok is your surgeon who will look after you to ensure the best possible outcomes.
If there are requirements to prepare the jaw to accept the implant with either bone grafting or sinus lifts, these need to be completed first. There is often a waiting period whilst the bone grafts or sinus lifts are healing.
Our Brisbane surgeon then carries out surgery to place dental implants into the bone. Depending on your individual needs, anywhere between 2 – 6 implants are placed into the jaw to support a prosthesis, which will be used to restore function.
The video below shows an animated surgery of how the implants are placed into the bone.
Restorative Phase
Depending on your treatment plan, impressions are taken to prepare the final stages where we fit you with your customised teeth.
There will be several fitting appointments to ensure that everything feels and looks perfect and that you are happy with the end results.
If you have chosen to have overdentures as your final prosthesis, Paul will be looking after you to fit you with dentures.
Maintenance Phase
Dental implants are not maintenance-free. Even the best BMWs and Mercedes require regular upkeep, and your dental implants are the same. The restorations need to be cleaned daily, and our Brisbane dentists will instruct you on how to floss and clean them. You are also expected to keep up with your 6 monthly checkups if you still have natural teeth remaining.
It is also highly recommended for a periapical x-ray (close up x-ray) of each individual implant to be taken yearly to monitor bone levels. We also would like to see you during these yearly examinations to check the hygiene around your prosthesis, as well as screen your oral mucosa for oral cancer and other diseases. Keeping these appointments at our Brisbane dental practice will ensure we catch any complications early and take the appropriate steps so your implants will last you for life.
Overdentures retained by Implants
Overdentures are the most economical prosthesis choice for Brisbane patients. These are horseshoe-shaped dentures secured by small “clips” (called locator abutments) onto dental implants.
On the lower jaw, two implants are sufficient to restore the lower arch on a tight budget and can make a world of difference regarding how stable they feel compared to free fitting dentures. However, for optimal results, if budgets and bone volumes allow, we recommend four implants on the lower jaw for even better stability.
On the upper jaw, four implants are necessary to give sufficient stability to the denture as we are working against gravity to hold the denture into place.
The dentures are not screwed into the implants, which allows them to be clicked off. One of the biggest advantages for Brisbane patients of having removable over-dentures is that they are very easy to maintain and keep clean.
We recommend overdentures for older patients without good finger mobility, as flossing around a fixed prosthesis can be quite challenging if you have arthritis or other dexterity limitations.
If you have been wearing full dentures for an extended period, the gums and bones have often sunken in due to the recession of the jawbone over time. Overdentures are much better at providing natural support for the lips and their structures.
However, because they are not screwed into the implants, the flip side is that they are not as secure as fixed solutions.
| Pros | Cons |
| Very affordable – complete solutions starting from around $6,500 | Not as stable as fixed options |
| Easy to clean – removable teeth | Although dentures look fantastic, porcelain bridges give a much more superior esthetic result. |
| Provide excellent tissue support – if years of wearing dentures have caused jaw to atrophy
|
2 Implant Overdenture
This animation is what a typical over denture supported by 2 implants would look
4 Implant Overdenture
This animation shows what a 4 implant over denture would look like
Fixed Dentures on a Titanium Bar
Fixed dentures are often used when we try to load the implants immediately. The original denture used in the healing phase made by Dr Paul Abbot (Prosthetist) is fused and secured with a titanium bar to give it structural rigidity. This prosthesis is then screwed into abutments attached to your dental implants.
The term “full-arch” or “all-on-4” describes a treatment modality where essentially, a denture fused with a titanium bar is immediately loaded onto the implants after surgery. This is a trademark of the Nobel Biocare implant system. Although at Balmoral Dental Centre, we can provide exactly the same full-arch dental implants service for Brisbane patients, as the term is a trademark, we can’t call it that.
This solution gives you dentures that feel very solid. However, sometimes they can be challenging to keep clean. They are great for providing a fast, economic restoration whilst still feeling solid and firm due to the implants’ fixed denture.
Whether you are considering full-arch dental implants in Bulimba, full-arch dental implants in Morningside, or full-arch dental implants in Hawthorne, our experienced dentist and surgeon at Balmoral are here to help.
After the implants have properly osseointegrated (fused to the bone), the titanium bar and dentures are often swapped out for a full porcelain bridge.
Overdenture on Ti-Bar
Overdenture on Titanium bar
Full arch restorations with a fixed porcelain bridge
There are two reasons why we go the extra mile and use a premium implant system, such as the Astra Tech dental implant. The first reason is that we value their excellent surfaces. Being prepared to maximise bone growth, the osseointegration of bone to implant is what will ultimately give you long-term success. The second reason is the fantastic array of abutments and access to the Atlantis superstructures.
Whilst there are many “Full arch ceramic bridge” options available, we believe that the technology has not matured enough to the point of lifelong reliability. Whilst having a zirconia base is exceptionally economical to manufacture and produce, we believe that the material is too brittle to withstand a lifelong journey of bumps and bangs from our everyday biting and chewing.
Partnering with Dentsply Astra, we can take an impression of your implants and mouth. Taking the denture and teeth set up with Paul, Dentsply can produce a titanium base for your final bridge. Take a look at how 3D printing titanium works in the video below.
After the titanium base of your full arch bridge has been 3D printed, we have very experienced ceramists, which we have worked with for years to layer a beautiful ceramic coating with teeth and gum coloured porcelain if necessary to provide you with a fantastic result.
This video details how the procedure is completed from start to finish and is the essence of why we use the Astra Tech Implant System
| Pros | Cons |
|
Excellent Aesthetics, best looking outcome with no compromises
|
Cost – of the components required for the bridge, of the titanium superstructure, and the ceramic layering required by a skilled technician. |
| Strong, titanium core means the bridge is on a solid backing, the porcelain can chip over time, so you still need to be sensible about it. | Time – The production of this final bridge takes an additional 1-2 months after the implants have fully healed, this is due to the complexities involved with getting everything perfect. |
| Secure, being fixed to the dental implants, these teeth are going nowhere | |
| Easy to clean, whilst they are not as easy to clean as removable dentures, due to the porcelain covering which is too small for bacteria to grow onto easily, they are much easier to maintain than fixed dentures | |
| Stain resistant, just like crowns and veneers, being made of porcelain means the bridge would look great many years down the track. |
Contact us for full-arch dental implants at Balmoral Dental Centre
If you are missing all the teeth in one arch, full-arch dental implants can totally transform your quality of life by restoring your smile and bite functionality. Call us today to schedule a consultation, and we can discuss your best mouth implant rehabilitation options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are my options for replacing all my teeth with dental implants?
Brisbane patients can have dentures that snap in and out of dental implants (removable over overdenture) or have denture teeth permanently screwed into dental implants (fixed hybrid prosthesis) that only their dentist can remove. Full-arch or All on 4 dental implants are the term used by Brisbane dentists for the second option.
What does full-arch dental implants or a full arch implant rehabilitation consist of?
When a patient is missing all of their teeth or has a few remaining that are not salvageable, our Brisbane dentists may recommend full-arch rehabilitation with dental implants. The process involves rebuilding and restoring teeth on the upper or lower arch, or both. Dental implants are considered the gold standard in modern dentistry for replacing missing teeth.
Does it hurt to have full arch implant rehabilitation or full-arch dental implants?
The procedure is often performed in one long surgery that involves extracting any remaining teeth, recontouring the jawbone and placing the dental implants. Once the surgery is over, our Brisbane dentist places temporary dentures on the implants so you won’t ever be without teeth. Typically, the temporary denture is worn for around 4-6 months during the healing phase. Afterwards, the final teeth are fitted, and natural oral functions are restored permanently.
Who needs full-arch dental implants in Brisbane?
If you have lost many of your teeth or your remaining teeth are damaged or decayed, or you are tired of an ill-fitting denture, you could be a good candidate for full-arch dental implants or full arch implant rehabilitation in Brisbane.
How much does full-arch dental implants cost at your Brisbane clinic?
The cost of this treatment depends on the complexity of your case and can only be determined by a CBVT scan and clinical examination.
Can a mouth full of dental implants be done in a day?
Same-day teeth in a day or full-arch dental implants are available for suitable Brisbane candidates. However, do keep in mind that there is more to the treatment than a single-day procedure. Although your implant procedure may be completed in one dental appointment, you may need several other appointments beforehand. Our dentist will determine the best treatment plan during the initial consultation to ensure you get the best results from full-arch dental implants.
What are the benefits of full-arch dental implants?
The benefits for Brisbane patients are many and include:
- Visual appeal and renewed confidence
- Overall health improvements
- Natural oral function
What are the potential downsides of full-arch dental implant/mouth implant rehabilitation?
- Denture wear
- Speech alteration
- Implants may fail
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
