All-on-Four
My apologies for being waayyy late to this thread.
I had All-on-Four treatment 7-1/2 years ago. Mine would be considered a successful one in terms of overall outcome. The treatment plan post surgery took place over the course of an entire year. I lost track of how many follow-up appointments I had with my dentist, surgeon and the lab during that time as they monitored my progress. That's why I shudder when reading advertisements claiming All-on-Four treatments that can be done in a single day. Mine required both a sinus lift and bone grafting. Fortunately, my surgeon was a very skilled and experienced one. Nobel implants and abutments were used - all carry a lifetime warranty as does the titanium bar that my permanent prosthetics are built upon. Post surgery, I wore temporary prosthetics on the upper jaw until healing was complete enough to receive the implants.
Even after all of that, there was still a bit of a trial period before the permanent prosthetics could be tweaked for the best possible fit. That doesn't mean this has been a fail-safe experience. A year ago I had an implant screw break and had to be replaced. This past spring, a lower abutment broke. The lab removed both prosthetics, placed me back in my temporaries for two weeks while they rework the upper and lower. All of this work is under warranty.
I see my dentist annually for routine cleaning and inspection. Every other year, my dentist replaces all of my implant screws which I pay for OOP to the tune of $300.
I would suggest to anyone considering All-on-Four to work with the best surgeon and dental lab available. Make sure the work has warranty and the components used (implants/abutments/prosthetics) are of the highest quality. And finally, make sure to floss around those implants every friggin' day and continue seeing your dentist annually. And lastly, don't be tempted by those ads promising All-on-Four in a single visit.
This treatment plan was costly in terms of $$$. For me, it was worth every penny as I am able to eat what I want and speak confidently without concern.