J Clin Exp Dent. 2017;9(5):e712-5.

All-On-4 standard treatment concept

Journal section: Oral Surgery doi:10.4317/jced.53759

Publication Types: Review http://dx.doi.org/10.4317/jced.53759

Consensus statements and clinical recommendations on treatment indications,

surgical procedures, prosthetic protocols and complications following All-On-4
standard treatment. 9th Mozo-Grau Ticare Conference in Quintanilla, Spain

Miguel Peñarrocha-Diago 1, María Peñarrocha-Diago 2, Regino Zaragozí-Alonso 3, David Soto-Peñaloza 4, on

behalf of the Ticare Consensus Meeting 5

1
MD, DMD, PhD, Professor and Chairman of Oral Surgery, Stomatology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Univer-
sity of Valencia, Spain
2
MD, DDS, PhD, Assistant Professor of Oral Surgery, Stomatology Department, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of
Valencia, Spain
3
DDS, Dentist, Department of Stomatology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, Spain
4
DDS, MSc, Collaborating Lecturer, Master in Oral Surgery and Implant Dentistry, Department of Stomatology, Faculty of Medi-
cine and Dentistry, University of Valencia, Spain
5
Juan Antonio Blaya-Tárraga, University of Valencia, Spain; Abel García-García, University of Santiago de Compostela, A Co-
ruña, Spain; Agustin Ripoll, Specialist Technician in Dental Prosthodontics, Valencia, Spain; Alberto Fernández-Ayora, Private
practice, Almería, Spain; Alberto Fernandez-Sanchez, Private practice, Almería, Spain; Ana Orozco-Varo, University of Seville,
Spain; Antonio Juan Flichy-Fernández, University of Valencia, Spain; Arturo Sánchez-Pérez, University of Murcia, Spain; Carlos
Bonilla-Mejías, University of Seville, Spain; Carlos Larrucea-Verdugo, University of Talca, Chile; Carlos Sáenz-Ramírez, Univer-
sity of Seville, Spain; Daniel Robles-Cantero, CEPUME, University of Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Florencio Monje-Gil,
University of Badajoz, Spain; Alberto González-Garcia, University of Seville, Spain; Angels Pujol-García, International University
of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain; Javier Ortolá-Dinnbier, Specialist Technician in Dental Prosthodontics, Valencia, Spain; Javier
Valladares-Relaño, Specialist Technician in Dental Prosthodontics, Salamanca, Spain; Luis Miguel Vera-Fernández, Specialist Te-
chnician in Dental Prosthodontics, Seville, Spain; María Isabel González-Martin, University of Seville, Spain; Pablo Domínguez-
Cardoso, University of Seville, Spain; Raúl Fernández-Encinas, Private practice, Valladolid, Spain

Correspondence:
Unidad de Cirugía Bucal, Facultat de Medicina i Odontologìa
Universitat de València
C/ Gascó Oliag 1
46010 - Valencia, Spain Peñarrocha-Diago M, Peñarrocha-Diago MA, Zaragozí-Alonso R, So-
miguel.penarrocha@uv.es to-Peñaloza D, on behalf of the Ticare Consensus Meeting. Consensus
statements and clinical recommendations on treatment indications, surgi-
cal procedures, prosthetic protocols and complications following All-On-4
Received: 02/02/2017
standard treatment. 9th Mozo-Grau Ticare Conference in Quintanilla,
Accepted: 23/02/2017 Spain. J Clin Exp Dent. 2017;9(5):e712-5.
http://www.medicinaoral.com/odo/volumenes/v9i5/jcedv9i5p712.pdf

Article Number: 53759 http://www.medicinaoral.com/odo/indice.htm

© Medicina Oral S. L. C.I.F. B 96689336 - eISSN: 1989-5488
eMail: jced@jced.es
Indexed in:
Pubmed
Pubmed Central® (PMC)
Scopus
DOI® System

Abstract
Objectives: The present consensus report critically evaluates the scientific evidence based on a comprehensive
systematic review of the All-On-4 treatment concept, focusing primarily on the treatment indications, surgical pro-
cedures and prosthetic protocols, and secondarily on the mechanical and biological complications involved.
Material and Methods: A systematic review was made in advance of the meeting. Consensus statements, treatment
guidelines and recommendations for future research were based on within-group as well as plenary debates and
discussions of the systematic review.

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J Clin Exp Dent. 2017;9(5):e712-5. All-On-4 standard treatment concept

Results: The main indication of All-On-4 standard care is an atrophic maxilla or mandible, with or without remnant
hopeless tooth. in ASA I or II patients. This surgical-prosthetic protocol seems efficient, safe and effective in the case
of Cawood & Howell class IV, V and VI. It is necessary for the implant to have had an insertion torque of over 35
Ncm for immediate loading. The provisional prosthesis should provide rigidity, being non-flexible in order to avoid
micro-movements, and should be strong enough to not fracture. Balanced occlusion without interferences is required,
ensuring very gentle dynamic movements. The design of the definitive prosthesis must be cleanable and biomechani-
cally adjusted to the implant position and individual characteristics of each patient. A non-concave acrylic base resting
over soft tissue is recommended, facilitating hygiene. Regarding occlusion, a group guide should be made, taking into
account whether the antagonist is not a removable complete denture. In that case, bi-balanced occlusion should be
assessed. Prosthetic complications occur as a result of fractures of the provisional acrylic prostheses. These problems
in turn can be resolved by repair through relining or fixing. The most frequent biological complication is the loss of at
least one implant, while the second most frequent complication is the development of peri-implantitis and mucositis.
Conclusions: In the treatment of atrophy for full-arch implant supported restorations it is considered that four implants
suffice for immediate loading and the final prosthesis, even when there is available bone between the mental foramina
or maxillary sinuses. The weakness of the quality of the available evidence indicates that further studies are needed,
involving an appropriate design and with adequate follow-up in All-On-4 standard care to confirm the present results
mainly in relation to survival rates and complications.

Key words: Atrophic jaw, All-on-4, immediate implant loading, edentulous mandible, edentulous maxilla, tilted im-
plant, implant failure, dental implants.

Introduction marily on the treatment indications, surgical procedures

There is persistent controversy on the ideal rehabilita- and prosthetic protocols (loading time, prosthesis ma-
tion of edentulous patients. Immediate loading proce- terial, abutment, type of fixation, occlusal control), and
dures for edentulous jaws have become widely popular secondarily on the mechanical and biological complica-
among clinicians (1,2), with great acceptance on the part tions such as implant failure, mucositis, peri-implantitis
of the patients (3). or prosthesis fracture, abutment fracture, screw fracture
The challenge today is not to prove functionality but rather or losses.
to develop simple and cost-effective protocols, ensuring Furthermore, an analysis is made of the clinical outco-
the wellbeing of patients. The present report summarizes mes of this treatment concept over different time spans
the statements and clinical recommendations referred to of at least three years after immediate loading. The dis-
the All-On-4 treatment concept, based on a consensus cussion led to the development of statements and recom-
agreement among the participants at the Ninth Ticare mendations determined through group consensus based
Conference held in Quintanilla (Valladolid, Spain). on the findings of the systematic review.
The All-on-4 treatment concept involves the placement -Focus question
of four implants in the anterior part of the maxilla or in “What are the most frequent clinical indications, surgi-
the inter-foramina space of the jaw - two mesial axial cal procedures, prosthetic protocols and complications
implants and two angled implants in the distal position in edentulous patients or individuals with severely re-
- to support a fixed immediate loading full-arch prosthe- sorbed jaws receiving dental implants for immediate
sis. This treatment strategy offers promising results over full-arch implant supported restorations following the
short and middle term, and proves highly successful in All-On-4 concept in the mandible or maxilla?”.
terms of survival rates, as documented by the scientific -Consensus statements
literature (4). Depicted by each comprehensive and complete objec-
However, such treatment constitutes a special challenge tive.
in every-day clinical practice, with doubts remaining re- -Clinical indications
garding the specific treatment indications, surgical pro- The main indication of All-On-4 standard care is an atro-
cedures and prosthetic protocols following the All-On-4 phic maxilla or mandible with or without remnant hope-
procedure. In this regard, the effects of the treatment stra- less tooth in ASA I or II patients. This surgical-prosthetic
tegies in terms of patient satisfaction, and the treatment protocol seems efficient, safe and effective in Cawood &
complications (both technical and biological) remain to Howell class IV, V and VI. The procedure requires mi-
be firmly established. nimum dimensions of the alveolar process in the maxi-
The present consensus report critically evaluates the lla between the mesial wall of the maxillary sinuses and
scientific evidence based on a comprehensive systematic between the emergence of the mental nerves in the jaw,
review of the All-On-4 treatment concept, focusing pri- in order to allow placement of the four implants.

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Another indication refers to patients reluctant to under- ing non-flexible in order to avoid micro-movements that
go bone regenerative procedures such as sinus lift, bone impede the implant osseointegration process, and should
grafting or transposition of the dental nerve. Moreover, be strong enough to not fracture.
the protocol is indicated in accordance to the prosthetic High-density acrylic resin materials are to be preferred,
design involved – the patient being required to have 12 depending on the prosthetic-space dimension, as they
mm of height in the prosthetic space, without the need can ensure rigidity and prevent fractures. Depending on
for a buccal flank to give lip support. the patient characteristics, and particularly in cases with
For immediate loading, the implants must have had an little space, the prostheses can be reinforced with a metal
insertion torque of over 35 Ncm. frame.
-Surgical procedures We can place 10 or 12 teeth without cantilever, depen-
Local anesthesia using the infiltration technique is advi- ding on whether the implants emerge up to the second
sed, complemented with oral or intravenous sedation. premolar or the first molar.
The preparation of a surgical-radiological splint is su- •Immediate loading and occlusion
ggested, based on a waxed diagnostic model, or adop- Immediate loading is to be performed during the first
ting a computer-designed surgical splint, when a flapless 24 hours and until one week after surgery. The provi-
approach is used. sional prosthesis must remain in place at least 6 mon-
When a flapless technique is not performed, a crestal in- ths, allowing stabilization of the soft tissue, and should
cision from the first molar to the contralateral molar is be resistant to fractures - thereby avoiding the need for
made, with or without distal discharge. In the mandible, prostheses removal for repair.
distal discharge is made after emergence of the mental During immediate loading, balanced occlusion without
nerve in order to avoid injuries. After flap reflection and interferences is required, ensuring very gentle dynamic
detection of the mental foramina in jaw, the length of the movements, since immediate loading seeks rigidity of
mental nerve loop as well as the shape of bone are as- the prosthesis, and it is essential to avoid disrupting the
sessed in order to determine the ideal angulation for the osteointegration process.
posterior implants. Before implant placement, all com- •Definitive prostheses material and occlusion
promised teeth must be extracted, and the sockets are to The definitive prosthesis may be made using metal-ce-
be carefully debrided. ramic/acrylic resin materials, reinforced with metal fra-
If a window is made in the maxillary sinus, introducing a meworks; the denture extension consists mainly of up
periodontal probe allows us to locate the medial wall of to 12 teeth. Prosthetic manufacturing using new techno-
the sinus, thereby guiding distal implant placement. Mo- logies such as CAD-CAM and other new materials not
reover, by using current diagnostic tools such as cone- validated to date can be performed as a way to explore
beam computed tomography, with the surgical splint, it and change the classic materials used for many years.
is possible to locate the medial limit of the maxillary sin- The prosthesis structure must be adapted to the coating
us, avoiding perforation of the Schneiderian membrane. or veneering material. It is advisable to work with the
Alveolar ridge regularization allows standard diameter option of easy repair in situations of cracked prostheses.
implants to be placed in the correct position. Another ad- The design of the definitive prosthesis must be cleana-
vantage is that dentogingival prostheses can be placed, ble and biomechanically adjusted to the implant position
thereby enhancing aesthetics, since the gingiva-prosthe- and individual characteristics of each patient, e.g., age,
ses interface is located apical from the smile line. sex, functional and parafunctional habits, muscle tone,
The angulation of the distal implants should be between antagonist, etc.
30° and 45°, depending on the situation and anatomical A non-concave acrylic base resting above the soft tissue
location. Use is made of implants with a diameter of 4 is advised, facilitating hygiene, and avoiding plaque-
mm and a minimum length of 10 mm and 11.5 mm, axial induced complications. Regarding occlusion, a group
and distal respectively. Moreover, in the case of the lat- guide should be made, taking into account whether the
ter implant, it is advisable to place the greatest length antagonist is not a removable complete denture. In that
allowed by planning. A measuring tool is recommended case, bi-balanced occlusion should be assessed.
for assessing primary stability. •Prosthetic settlement assessment
-Prosthetic protocols Prosthetic settlement must be verified through panora-
•Abutment type and prosthetic screw tightness mic and periapical radiographs, using the parallel pro-
Abutments with an inclination of between 17° and 30° jection technique to assess and guide fitting of the pros-
are advised in order to compensate the lack of para- theses and abutments.
llelism between implants. Regarding prosthetic screw -Complications
tightening, forces of around 10-20 Ncm are suggested. •Mechanical
•Provisional prosthesis material Prosthetic complications occur as a result of fractures of
The provisional prosthesis should provide rigidity, be- the provisional acrylic prostheses. These problems can

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J Clin Exp Dent. 2017;9(5):e712-5. All-On-4 standard treatment concept

be solved by repairing through relining or fixing, adjus- tocol for implants, according individualized features by
ting the occlusion, and using an occlusal splint. The de- each patient.
tachment of an element of the definitive prosthesis is the
most frequent problem. However, this does not affect the General Statements
survival rate of either implants or prostheses. -General clinical recommendations
•Biological The current trend is to place fewer implants than only
The most frequent biological complication is the loss few years ago. Starting from protocols comprising 8 and
of at least one implant, while the second most frequent 6 implants, the numbers has since been maintained or
complication is the development of peri-implantitis and reduced.
mucositis. -General recommendations for future research
-Treatment guidelines Definition should be made of the degree of atrophy and
•Indications the type of patient in which the all-on-four standard is
Patients are required to have a minimum alveolar pro- indicated.
cess dimension allowing the placement of four implants Prospective clinical trials should be designed to compa-
in the pre-maxilla zone, and without needing a buccal re four implants versus the classic number of 6 and 8,
flank to hold up the lip. A torque of at least 35 Ncm is in order to assess the advantages and disadvantages in
required to perform immediate loading. terms of the incidence of complications and the survival
•Prosthetic protocol rates associated to the different procedures, ensuring a
▫Abutment type and prosthetic screw tightness sufficient sample size and adequate follow-up.
The abutments should be tight, applying the forces indi- New types of currently available materials should be
cated by the manufacturer, because screw losses or frac- evaluated, following the All-On-4 concept.
tures of both the provisional and prosthetic fitting can Dental implants should be designed and manufactured
result from mishandling, misfit and occlusal forces. for placement in an angulated distal position, with a mo-
▫Immediate loading and occlusion dified angled connection emulating zygomatic implants,
Immediate loading is to be performed during the first in an attempt to minimize microleakage generated by
24 hours and until one week after surgery. The provi- gaps at the implant-abutment interface.
sional prosthesis must remain in place at least 6 mon-
ths, allowing stabilization of the soft tissue, and should References
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We therefore need to ensure an adequate design, with 2. Gallucci GO, Benic GI, Eckert SE, Papaspyridakos P, Schimmel
appropriate material and references regarding the pros- M, Schrott A, et al. Consensus statements and clinical recommenda-
thetic space - balanced occlusion without interferences tions for implant loading protocols. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants
2014;29:287-90.
being mandatory. 3. Agliardi E, Clerico M, Ciancio P, Massironi D. Immediate loading
Fracture of the provisional acrylic prosthesis and the de- of full-arch fixed prostheses supported by axial and tilted implants
tachment of an element of the definitive prosthesis are for the treatment of edentulous atrophic mandibles. Quintessence Int
common problems in the All-On-4 standard concept. 2010;41:285-93.
4. Patzelt SB, Bahat O, Reynolds MA, Strub JR. The all-on-four
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avoiding the canine guide in definitive prostheses, and
assessing the prosthetic space to establish the best de- Conflict of Interest
sign according to the individual characteristics of the The authors have declared that no conflict of interest exist.
patient, with due consideration of the antagonist.
▫Prosthetic settlement assessment
Panoramic and periapical radiograph should be used to
assess fitting between the implant connection and the
prosthetic parts during maintenance recall, thereby con-
tributing to avoid future mechanical complications.
-Biological complications
Because the high prevalence of peri-implant diseases
such as mucositis and peri-implantitis, in this sense, the
recommendation is to consider that it is utmost impor-
tant define the disease with a pre-established bone loss
threshold, assessing systemic and local risk factors, as
well as, implementing a customized maintenance pro-

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