Diagram of All-on-4 technique
Dental Implant Course
I attended a two day Nobel Biocare symposium in Earls Court central London on the 9th and 10th of September 2011. The first day was the usual format of lectures and presentations by podium speakers largely on implant aesthetics. The main speaker was Dr Paolo Malo the world reknowned implant surgeon and inventor of the same day teeth technique known as “All On 4”. This technique involves no new radical concepts in implantology as Paolo himself admitted but took pre existing techniques and concepts and put them together in the “All on 4” method. This method is designed to rehabilitate patients in a single surgery without the need for bone grafts or lengthy temporisation. Where suitable it is an excellent way of providing a functional and aesthteic set of teeth for patients with no teeth or a failing dentition requiring full extractions. As always this technique is not suitable for everyone.
Zygomatic Implants
The second day involved a masterclass on the use of zygomatic implants used in the same day / All on 4 technique. These implants are extremely long implants – up to 50mm long!! – that engage the zygomatic (cheek bone) through the palate so that upper teeth can be provided for patitients who have an extreme loss of jaw bone or complex anatomy.
The weekend was very enjoyable and informative. Nobel Biocare is one of the major and most respected dental implant companies in the world and put on a very good show. giving up weekends is hard but was worth it.