The All-on-4 treatment concept is a technique used to totally rehabilitate the edentulous. It’s considered a prosthetic and surgical procedure. During the 1990s, this treatment concept was first developed, systematically analyzed and institutionalized.

A number of studies on the concept were funded by Nobel Biocare. The technique completely rehabilitates the edentulous maxilla and mandible. The technique uses a fixed prosthesis to accomplish this goal. A total of four implants are installed into the anterior maxilla, which is where bone density is highest.

The fixed prosthesis is supported by the four implants, and the prosthesis has anywhere from 12 to 14 teeth. Patients receive the prosthesis on the same day that the surgery is performed. The All-on-4 concept is Nobel Biocare’s registered trademark. With the All-in-4 technique, patients are given a screw-retained lower or upper set of teeth.

It’s an ideal procedure for patients who have major tooth loss. It can also be used for patients who don’t have enough bone mass for dental implants. One of the problems with tooth loss is that it’s almost always accompanied by a loss in jaw bone. For this procedure to be successful, bone must be transplanted from another part of the body.

Two locations where bone is frequently transplanted from are the skull and iliac crest. The transplanted bone is added to the area where the prosthesis will be deployed. The transplantation of the bone graft can take up to six months. Once the implant is in place, a further two to three months is needed before the fixed prosthesis can be placed.

The All-on-4 treatment is named after the nature of the technique itself because it involves the installation of a dental prosthesis that contains twelve teeth using four titanium implants. International patenting protect the specific pillars or implants used by Malo.