We have been overwhelmed by the response of people who are interested in getting the 3 on 6 done. Many people who contact us have the same question… Do I have enough bone? Many people can experience bone loss in their mouth throughout their life. Many of the reasons we see are due to periodontal disease, cancer treatment, poor oral hygiene, or previous tooth extractions. Let me tell you some of the guidelines that we use to determine if you have sufficient bone for the 3 on 6 treatment. If you still have some teeth in your mouth, even if you have bone loss due to periodontal disease, then there is still a good chance that you qualify. If there is enough bone in your mouth to support some teeth and if you are happy with the level of your gums where they are right now and just added new teeth on top of those then you are likely a candidate. The only way to know for sure would be to send us an x-ray or come in for a consultation. Sometimes after a consultation we determine that there isn’t enough bone to support a 3 on 6, but may still be able to do an All on 4.
Usually when bone dissolves, it is mostly lost in width, not height. This allows us to still have sufficient bone for a 3 on 6 and have a nice gum line. When more bone height is lost we still have options. The bridges can be made longer to compensate which still looks great, and we may also need to use mini implants, which aren’t as long and can be supported by thinner bone. If you have already had an All on 4 with a bone reduction, then you are probably no longer a candidate for the 3 on 6. Many patients ask about the possibility of using bone grafting. We end up using bone grafting for many patients. This is usually to provide additional support at the area of the implant, and to create optimal esthetics. Bone grafting will generally not make you a candidate for the 3 on 6 procedure when there is significant bone loss. If you have had dentures for 10 years or more then there is about a 50% chance that you still have enough bone for the 3 on 6. If you don’t have enough for the 3 on 6 then we should still be able to get you into an easily cleansible All on 4. If you have had dentures for 20 years or more then you will likely need a couple zygomatic implants. Doctor Roberts in our Salt Lake City, UT office is certified ZAGA for placing zygomatic implants. There are very few surgeons in the nation comfortable placing zygomatic implants. Dr Roberts has been trained by world leading zygomatic implant trainers Dr Carlos Aparicio, and Dr Edmond Beddrosian. Zygomatic implants allow for placement of implants when there normally wouldn’t be sufficient bone for a traditional or mini implant. Again, the only way to know for sure what your options are is to visit one of our locations and get a consultation with a scan of your mouth. The consultations are free, as well as the scan, and will give us all the information we need, as well as tell us if you are a candidate for the 3 on 6.