Dispelling the Myths about the All-on-4® Implant Treatment
In recent years you may have heard a lot about this dental implant system called the All-on-4® Treatment Concept. In the digital environment that we live in, it is sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction. The dental industry is not immune from this. With the rapidly evolving technology and innovative treatment concepts, how do we know the treatments offered are right for us? At Dental 359 – Malo Clinic in Subiaco we always endeavour to couple innovation with scientifically proven treatments to offer the highest quality care to our patients.
Over five years ago Dr. Golestani, principal of Dental 359, was looking for a cost effective and modern solution for his edentulous patients, that is those people that have lost teeth and those with severely deteriorated teeth. He had identified many problems with the treatment offered patients that he was caring for.
The Development of All-on-4® treatment concept
According to a scientific finding published by J. Fisk et al, in 1998, the most common complaints from people wearing dentures are a sense of premature aging, less self-confidence and frequent embarrassment. People who wear removable dentures report that they do not always enjoy food and drinks, no longer laugh freely and find social networking more difficult. A poorly fitting denture makes it even harder for people in social settings.
In addition, conventional dental implant treatments for full mouth rehabilitation often require preparatory bone grafting which apart from being a costly procedure are also not advised for people with heart conditions and other health issues. Unfortunately especially among the seniors in our community this is more commonplace. In addition, the placement of many implants and the staged approach where patients would have to wait months to finalise treatment proved to have limitations notwithstanding the enormous cost to patients.
In his search for the best treatment, Dr. Golestani came across Professor Paulo Malo, DDS, PhD, who founded the Malo Clinic in 1995 and developed the innovative All-on-4® surgical technique that revolutionized implantology and fixed oral rehabilitation. With over 40 million edentulous people in the Western World and an estimated 250 million edentulous people in Asia it became evident to Prof. Malo that a more time-efficient and reliable procedure is needed to meet the growing demand(1). He spent a great deal of time exploring treatment alternatives through the review of scientific literature. He explored questions like how many teeth do we really need to assure pleasant esthetics and good masticatory function? He realised that no one was posing this question in the dental journals and without an answer it would be impossible to pursue his rehabilitation technique. Through laborious analysis and experimentation, he devised the All-on-4® concept(2). Over the years thousands of patients have subsequently been successfully treated with this method. It is important to note that dozens of clinical studies have documented the safety, efficacy and remarkable high success rate of the All-on-4® treatment(3). There are now 34 clinical studies on the All-on-4® treatment concept featuring over 2400 patients and over 9250 Nobel Biocare implants. There are many imitation implants but they completely lack this level of scientific evidence.(4)
Armed with this knowledge, Dr. Golestani approached Professor Malo and Malo Australia founder Dr. Larry Benge to accredit his practice Dental 359 in his innovative treatment. For the past 5 years Dental 359 has treated hundreds of patients using Professor Malo’s protocol for All-on-4®.
Incidentally, it is important to note that the name All-on-4® although used by practitioners in their advertising and business names is, in fact, merely the name of the treatment concept which is registered and owned by Nobel Biocare an international dental implant company that manufactures and supplies high quality, world standard implants in addition to pioneering the All-on-4® treatment concept with Professor Malo.(5)
It is important for the public to know that no one else owns that name or can profess to be the creators of the All-on-4® treatment concept as Professor Malo has devised. There may be others that do similar treatments however it is up to the patient to investigate whether such treatments are going to be a success long term. As with all dental treatment, in the hands of a skilled and experienced practitioner, using innovative and proven techniques can provide better long-term outcomes and can reduce the risk of failure.
What is All-on-4®
According to the United Nation’s World Health Organization (WHO), between 6 to 10 percent of the world’s population is toothless. This does not account for the number of people that have severely deteriorated teeth. Many of these people believe that the only solution is either dentures or extensive bone grafting and treatment over many months which is time consuming and expensive. Now there is an innovative alternative with proven results. (6)
The All-on-4® treatment concept is a cost effective, advanced technique whereby a whole arch of teeth is supported by only 4 implants. This treatment can be used in either the upper or lower jaw to support immediate fixed replacement teeth that look, feel and function very similar to natural teeth in as little as one to three days.
Two implants are placed vertically in the front of the jaw and two back implants are placed at an angle of up to 45 degrees. Tilting the back implants allows the required support for total rehabilitation, overcoming bone deficiencies and in most cases avoids grafting procedures.
With most All-on-4® solutions, patients benefit from an immediate implant-supported fully fixed replacement teeth , in as little as 1-3 days after surgery. The sense of taste is also preserved, as the roof of the mouth is not covered with acrylic denture and due to less implants placed, compared to conventional methods, cleaning is easier.
Who is eligible for All-on-4® treatment?
At Dental 359 – Malo Clinic the All-on-4® procedure is a highly successful treatment modality for patients who have lost all of their teeth or are about to lose them, in upper or lower jaws.
Each patient is carefully diagnosed and examined to determine whether the conditions for All-on-4® treatment concept have been met.
During the diagnosis, the quality and quantity of bone will be thoroughly assessed and specialised implants may need to be placed. All alternatives and solutions will be discussed in detail.
Benefits of Malo’s All-on-4® (7)
-Looks, feels and functions like natural teeth
-Helps prevent further bone loss
-Preserves facial structure & in some cases increases lip support
-Restores oral functionality, both in terms of chewing and speaking
-Greater comfort than removable dentures
Why Dental 359 – Malo Clinic
Malo Clinic is the home of All-on-4® dental implants treatment concept.
As creators, developers and inventors, we continue to innovate and improve the All-on-4® procedure. As the only Malo Clinic in Perth, you are dealing with an expert implant team who have the latest research at their fingertips. Malo Clinic Australia combine their expertise, often consulting and collaborating on cases, to offer their patients the best care possible.
-We have performed All-on-4® for over 5 years and have treated hundreds of patients
-Malo Clinic created the All-on-4® protocol
-Experience in complicated and difficult cases
-Proven success rate
-Our team includes an experienced oral-maxillofacial surgeon and anaesthetist
-the Malo Clinic in Australia have performed more All-on-4® procedures than any other clinic in Australia
When considering if All-on-4® or dental implants are right for you, come for a consultation to understand the difference we can offer. Call us on 1 300 625 625 or email us on smile@dental359.com.au.
What questions should you be asking when considering this treatment?
If you are considering having this treatment, there are some things you should consider before making this very important decision.
–What dental implants are you getting?
–What is the quality of teeth you are getting and how long will they last?
-Is the practice using titanium or cheaper metals?
-What kind of experience does the practitioner have and do they work with a team of experienced practitioners and technicians?
-Is the practice endorsed by Professor Malo and do they use his protocol
-Is there a protocol for post-operative reviews and cleans where a skilled practitioner unscrews the teeth, check that all is healing well and a skilled hygienist does a thorough clean.
-Is there a standard protocol to ensure that patients are receiving the best care possible?
Other considerations:
-Many overseas implants do not pass Therapeutic Goods Act (TGA) or Australian Standards and if problems arise, who will see you? And will practitioner in Australia be able to solve your problem if implants cannot be easily identified.
Free Monthly Information Seminars at Dental 359 – Malo Clinic
There is no doubt that our Information Seminars are an invaluable place to start your journey with Malo All-on-4®.
The seminars are a good starting point for gaining information about dental implants and whether they are the treatment you are looking for. You will gain knowledge about dental implants in general and Malo All-on-4® treatment concept for people who currently wear full dentures or are about to lose their teeth through gum disease or failing dental work.
Dr Golestani presents case studies of actual patients of the practice as well as using models as part of his presentation. He also discusses the latest techniques and implants being offered by the Global headquarters of Malo Clinic.
Topics discussed in our seminars:
-Why Malo All-on-4® an alternative to dentures and deteriorated teeth
-Benefits of this procedure
-How this procedure is performed
-Teeth in 1 to 3 days
-Are you suited for the procedure and medical criteria required
-Why Dental 359 – Malo Clinic The Malo protocol difference
These seminars are very popular so call our treatment coordinator Kayla on 1 300 625 625 to secure your seat for our upcoming seminar.
How do I Book an appointment for Malo All-on-4® Dental Implants?
Patients who believe they may be a good candidate for this treatment can always contact us by calling 1 300 625 625. We also have a number of free information evenings, where you can meet Dr. Golestani and find out more about the treatment and your eligibility. To join us on one of these free information evenings, please fill in the registration form on the free information seminar page of maloclinicperth.com.au or call us on 1 300 625 625.
References:
1-3) The Challenge of a Lifetime, Dr. Paulo Malo, Nobel Biocare News Issue 2/2012
4) European Journal of Oral Implantology, Vol 7/ Supplement 2, Summer 2014
5) Efficient and Reliable – The One and Only All-on-4®, Jim Mack, Nobel Biocare News Issue 2/2012
6) No Need to be Edentulous, Jim Mack, Nobel Biocare News Issue 2/2012 (Source: WHO, Nobel Biocare estimates, Piper Jaffray Investment Research)
7) Efficient and Reliable – The one and only All-on-4®, Jim Mack, Nobel Biocare News Issue 2/2012
For information on how All-on-4® was developed and further reading on some scientific papers see following links:
https://www.nobelbiocare.com/be/en/home/company/media—news/articles/news/how-the-all-on-4–revolution-began.html
http://maloclinics.com/content/pdf/27_Abstract_EJOI_2011_Edentulous%20degrees.pdf
http://maloclinics.com/content/pdf/Abstract_JADA%202011_Longitudional%20Study.pdf
