Brockley Dental Blog, Dental Implants, Dentures, Mini Dental Implants, Restorative Dentistry

Alternatives to All on 4 Dentures With Mini Implant Solutions

All on 4 Dentures in Cranberry, PA | Try Mini Implant Alternatives

Have you ever heard of the term “All on 4® dentures”? It refers to an implant denture placement system that secures a prosthetic in place to provide a more stable smile. While traditional dentures replace your teeth, they often lack the stability that your natural teeth once had, resulting in difficulties chewing and irritated gums. With the use of conventional dental implants, your smile is anchored to your jaw with a permanent restoration! However, the All on 4 denture system is far from perfect. Many patients are ineligible for this placement method, as they lack the necessary jawbone structure. Fortunately, Brockley Dental Center has a solution! With mini dental implant systems like Fix-on-Six®, you can restore your smile without the hassle of All on 4 dentures.

Understanding All on 4® Dentures

All on 4 Dentures in Cranberry, PA | Try Mini Implant Alternatives

The All on 4® dentures process utilizes conventional dental implants.

These implants are around 5 mm in diameter, with a multi-piece system that secures into your jawbone. To place these implants, we must first make an incision in your gums.

With access to your jaw, we then use a series of drills increasing in size to create a hole in your bone. After carefully screwing the implant body in place, we suture the gums to facilitate the healing process.

With the All on 4 method, only four implants are placed, with two strategically positioned near the front and two near the back of your smile. These posterior (back) implants sit at a 45-degree angle, utilizing your jawbone without jeopardizing other anatomical structures like your sinuses.

After your implants are in place, a temporary restoration is secured over them to maintain aesthetics and function. Over the course of 3 to 6 months, your implants will bond with your jaw through a process known as osseointegration. Because they’re titanium, dental implants fuse with living bone, creating an incredibly strong connection. Once they’re healed, an abutment, or connector piece, is placed on your implants to secure a final denture restoration.

Though this method is effective, it’s not always the most accessible. Conventional dental implants are large and require a substantial jawbone structure for support, even when using only four of them. Many patients without teeth lack the necessary jawbone, requiring additional procedures like a bone graft or sinus lift. Unfortunately, these add to both the time and cost of your procedure, preventing patients like you from experiencing the “immediate results” of All on 4 dentures.

Introducing: Fix-on-Six® With Mini Implants

Fortunately, Brockley Dental Center doesn’t use conventional implants. Instead, we use mini dental implants, a smaller alternative that provides incredible benefits as well as the same stability as their conventional counterparts. With mini dental implants, we use a more accessible system known as Fix-on-Six®, which rarely requires additional procedures.

All on 4 Dentures in Cranberry, PA | Try Fix-on-Six
A Fix-on-Six denture doesn’t need the traditional bulky denture base. Instead, it secures directly to your mini implants.

The process is simple. We begin with a localized anesthetic, designed to keep you comfortable throughout the procedure. Then, we create small pilot holes where the implants will go, reaching through the gums and into the bone. Using this hole as a guide, we carefully screw the 6 to 10 implants in place.

While the Fix-on-Six method does use more implants, they are significantly smaller, requiring less jawbone structure. Often, patients ineligible for All on 4® treatment may still be eligible for Fix-on-Six, even without a bone graft or sinus lift!

The Fix-on-Six method uses a minimally invasive procedure that facilitates faster healing. Additionally, mini implants are instantly secure upon placement, allowing us to place a temporary and functional restoration immediately.

Rather than waiting months to stabilize, mini implants osseointegrate with your jawbone in just a few weeks! Once secure, we attach your final denture, stabilizing your smile with fewer appointments and procedures necessary.

Enjoy a Stable Smile With All on 4 Dentures Alternatives!

While All on 4® Dentures are effective, they’re often inaccessible to patients and require an invasive procedure with months of healing. Fortunately, Brockley Dental Center offers Fix-on-Six®, a sleeker alternative that produces faster results and similar stability. With Fix-on-Six dentures, you can enjoy a secure smile and stable bite without the hassle. Schedule a consultation at Brockley Dental Center to learn if you’re eligible for mini implant placement!

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Donald B. Brockley, DMD

Dr. Brockley earned his doctorate degree in Dental Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine in 1972. He is a second generation dentist and a legacy of the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine where his father, Dr. Charles R. Brockley earned his doctorate in general dentistry in the year 1927. While attending the University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine, he held the office of Class Secretary for his graduating class. Following dental school, he chose to do his residency training at Wilmington Medical Center in Wilmington, Delaware, with a focus on research. Upon completing his residency, Dr. Brockley enlisted in the Navy during the Vietnam War Era as a Naval Officer. Dr. Brockley opened his own private practice 1975 in Butler, PA a historic town just 34 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Brockley held the office of President of the Butler County Dental Society. After many years of practice, Dr. Brockley realized that fear is the #1 reason why people do not visit their dentist regularly. Therefore, he made it his mission to find an alternative way to practice (and to help his patients overcome this fear). This alternative was through Sedation Dentistry. In 1996 he became trained in Conscious Oral Sedation. This technique allowed him to treat fearful patients by gently putting them to sleep with the aid of a pill, not needle IV sedation which was the popular treatment at that time. Dr. Brockley received his dental training at the following institutions: University of Pittsburgh, School of Dental Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA University of North Carolina, School of Dentistry, Raleigh, NC Mini Dental Implant Training Centre, Buffalo, NY. Due to the high number of patients who are diabetic in his practice, his next goal was to understand the impact of Diabetes in Dentistry. Due to the subset of Diabetic patients in his practice who had similar recurring oral and systemic health problems, special attention became warranted. This led to a different standard of care and treatment for patients whose health was compromised by diabetes. Early detection, observation, evaluation and treatment to eradicate infection plays a major role in maintaining oral health for diabetic patients. Poorly managed treatment for diabetic patients has been shown to lead to a higher risk of uncontrolled gum disease and vice versa, making prevention of gum disease the #1 priority for this subset of patients. Dr. Brockley’s research on dentistry for diabetics led him to his next specialization: the treatment and eradication of gum disease. His aim has been to change the the treatment of gum disease, also known as periodontal disease. For this reason, he designed a radically different protocol to the Soft Tissue Management (STM) program. STM treats the symptoms of gum disease, and more importantly, the underlying cause of gum disease, bacteria. Studies have shown that gum disease affects 80% of American adults. However, Dr. Brockley has observed that more than 90% of his baby boomer patients have gum disease. His unique STM protocol has shown significant success within his patient population. With patient knowledge, understanding, and cooperation, Dr. Brockley is able to arrest and manage gum disease in his practice. After perfecting his procedures for crowns, bridges, partials and dentures to replace missing teeth, the introduction of Small Diameter Implants (also known as SDI or Mini Dental Implants) into his practice has revolutionized the way Dr. Brockley practices cosmetic dentistry. Small Diameter Implants provide the possibility of full mouth restoration, multiple teeth restoration, or single tooth restoration. Small Diameter Implants can be implemented in all types of tooth and bone conditions, in all ages, and in all types of health conditions. Dr. Brockley uses Small Diameter Implants to restore chewing ability and create beautiful smiles, which ultimately changes peoples’ lives. Dr. Brockley is the proud owner and operator of the first Mini Dental Implant Center of America in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Dr. Brockley has achieved Diplomate status in the International Academy of Mini Dental Implants. He is the President Emeritus of the Butler County Dental Society. Dr. Brockley was also a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Dental Corps. He is a a lifetime member of the Delta Sigma Dental Fraternity, and he was the Class Secretary for the University of Pittsburgh Dental School. Dr. Brockley likes to spend time with his family at home or while traveling, has been an avid scuba diver since 1980, and describes himself as a “just okay” golfer.

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