Dental Implants Bakersfield/ All-on-4® Dental Implants in Bakersfield, CA

All-on-4^® Implants in Bakersfield, CA

Teeth in one dayFour implants per archSedation or full sleepSecond opinions welcome

A full upper or lower arch of fixed teeth, held by four implants. Nothing comes out at night, and you leave surgery with teeth in place.

Teeth the same day, on a temporary bridge
Fixed in place, so no adhesive and no rocking
Angled back implants usually avoid the need for a bone graft
One surgeon, one office, extractions and anesthesia included

Consultations

(310) 929-9128

Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM
English, Spanish and Farsi

Book a Consultation

Overview

All-on-4^®: A Full Arch on Four Implants

All-on-4^® replaces every tooth in your upper or lower jaw with one fixed bridge, held by four implants.

It is not a denture. Nothing comes out at night, there is no adhesive, and it does not sit on your gums. The bridge is screwed onto the implants, so it stays put.

It is used when:

Most or all of the teeth in one jaw are failing
You already wear a denture and want something fixed
You are facing a full clearance and want teeth the same day

Teeth-in-a-Day is the same treatment. It refers to leaving with a temporary bridge on the day of surgery, which is what usually happens.

One arch or two

Prices you see advertised are almost always for one arch. If you need the top and the bottom, that is two treatments. Worth confirming before you compare quotes.

How it works

Why Four Implants Hold Twelve Teeth

The trick is where the implants go, not how many there are. Tap through the six stages.

Two implants go in upright at the front of the jaw, where bone stays densest longest. The other two are tilted back at an angle of up to about 45 degrees.

Tilting does three things:

A longer implant fits, so it grips more bone
It steers around your sinus in the upper jaw and your nerve in the lower jaw
It pushes the back support further back, which stops the bridge flexing

That last point is why four is enough. Spread the anchors wide and the bridge behaves like a beam supported at both ends rather than one propped in the middle.

Why this usually avoids a graft

Angled implants reach solid bone that upright ones cannot. That is how most people who were told they need bone grafting still get treated in one surgery.

Timeline

What to Expect on Surgery Day and During Recovery

This is a bigger operation than a single implant, and worth knowing properly before you commit.

The short version:

Surgery takes about three to five hours, and you are asleep or sedated for it
You go home the same day with a temporary bridge on
Swelling peaks on day two or three, then eases quickly
Most people are back at work within a week
Soft food for around three months, which is the real commitment
Final bridge at four to six months

Drag the slider for each stage, including what you can eat.

Call us if

Swelling grows after day three, pain increases instead of settling, or you run a fever. Early is easy to fix.

Your visits

Six stages from consultation to final bridge.

Visit 1SurgeryDay 3Week 2HealingFinal

Benefits

All-on-4^® vs. a Traditional Denture

Most people considering All-on-4 are choosing against a denture, so that is the comparison that matters. Tap to switch.

Fixed to your jaw

Screwed onto implants. It does not lift, rock or click.
No adhesive, and nothing to take out at night.
Your palate stays uncovered, so food tastes normal.
Chewing power close to natural teeth. Steak and apples are back.
Loads the jawbone, so the bone and your face shape hold.
Needs surgery. Temporary teeth the same day, final bridge in 4 to 6 months.

Rests on your gums

Sits on the gum, so it moves when you chew and talk.
Usually needs adhesive, and comes out at night.
An upper denture covers your palate, which dulls taste.
Chewing power drops sharply. Hard and chewy foods get avoided.
Nothing loads the bone, so the ridge keeps shrinking under it.
No surgery, lower upfront cost, and needs relining every few years.

Tap to switch. A denture still suits some people, and it costs less to start.

What patients notice first:

It does not move. No rocking while you eat, no clicking while you talk, no adhesive.
Food tastes right again. An upper bridge leaves your palate uncovered. Upper dentures cover it, which flattens taste and temperature.
You can chew properly. Bite force gets close to natural teeth, so the foods you gave up come back.
Your face holds its shape. Implants load the bone, which slows the collapse that makes long-term denture wearers look older than they are.
Teeth the same day. You do not spend months toothless waiting for healing.
Usually no bone graft. The angled back implants reach bone that upright ones would miss.

If you wait

What Happens When you Wear Dentures for Years

Losing teeth is not the end of the change. Your jaw keeps reacting for years afterward. Tap through a decade.

Five things that get worse with time:

Your jawbone shrinks. Fastest in the first year. A denture presses on gum, not bone, so it does nothing to slow this down.
Your denture stops fitting. As the ridge flattens it starts to rock, then needs adhesive, then relining every few years.
Your face changes. Lose the bone that held your teeth and the lower face shortens, the chin comes forward, and lines deepen around the mouth.
You eat less well. Denture wearers avoid raw vegetables, nuts and meat. Over years that shows up in diet quality, not just enjoyment.
Treatment gets harder. Once too little bone is left, four implants are no longer enough. You end up needing grafting or implants anchored in the cheekbone.

If you already wear a denture and have for years, this is still worth a scan. Options exist at every stage, they just get bigger the longer you leave it.

Find out where you stand

Pricing

Understanding the Cost of All-on-4^®

Full arch quotes are the hardest in dentistry to compare, because two offices quoting the same number are often selling different things.

The four questions that change the price most:

Is that one arch or both?
Is the final bridge included, or only the temporary?
What is the final bridge made of? Acrylic and zirconia are not close in cost or lifespan
Are extractions, sedation and follow-up visits in the number?

Tick the boxes and take the list to any consultation, including ours.

Insurance

Most plans will not cover the implants but often pay toward removing your remaining teeth, and sometimes toward the bridge. Annual maximums usually cap it well below the total. Financing through Proceed Finance is available, subject to approval.

Credentials

Meet your Surgeon

Dr. Sam Harouni, DDS. Oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Bakersfield.

Full arch surgery means extractions, implant placement and anesthesia in one long appointment. Having all three handled by one surgeon in one office is the difference between a coordinated day and a scheduling problem.

Dental degree from the University of Southern California
Surgical residency at Emory University School of Medicine
Sedation and general anesthesia given here, not referred out
Also performs zygomatic implants, for cases where bone loss is severe
Over 10,000 patients treated, 4.7 out of 5 on Yelp, English and Farsi

Full biography

FAQ

Questions Patients Ask

Do I really leave with teeth the same day?

Yes, in most cases. A temporary bridge is screwed onto the four implants before you go home, so you are not without teeth at any point.

It is a temporary though. The final bridge comes at four to six months, once the bone has locked onto the implants. The temporary looks like teeth and works on a soft diet.

Is four implants really enough?

For most arches, yes, and it is about position rather than count. The two back implants are tilted so they grab more bone and sit further back, which spreads the support wide.

Some arches need five or six. Heavy grinders, very soft bone, and some upper jaws do better with more. Your scan decides it, and that option is called All-on-X.

Does it come out like a denture?

No. It is screwed onto the implants and only your surgeon removes it, usually just for a deep clean at checkups.

That is the main difference from an implant overdenture, which snaps on and off for cleaning at home. Both are held by implants, but only one is fixed.

Will I be able to eat normally?

Eventually, yes, and that is most people's main reason for doing it. Bite force gets close to natural teeth, so steak, apples and nuts come back.

Not straight away though. You are on soft food for about three months while the implants integrate. That soft diet is the real commitment of this treatment.

Will my speech be affected?

For a few days, yes. Your tongue has to learn a new shape and some sounds feel odd at first, especially s and f sounds.

It settles quickly for most people, usually within one to two weeks. Reading out loud for a few minutes a day speeds it up noticeably.

Can I have just the top, or do I need both?

Just one arch is very common, most often the upper. Many people have a healthy lower set and only need the top replaced.

If you need both, that is two separate treatments and two separate prices. Advertised full arch prices almost always mean one arch, so confirm which you are being quoted.

I have worn dentures for years. Is it too late?

Not necessarily, but it depends on how much bone is left. Years of denture wear thins the ridge, because a denture presses on gum rather than loading bone.

A scan gives the answer. If four implants no longer fit, options still exist: more implants, bone grafting, or implants anchored in the cheekbone. They are bigger operations, which is the argument for scanning sooner rather than later.

How long does it last, and what maintenance does it need?

The implants are built to last decades. The bridge on top is the wearing part. Acrylic bridges typically need replacing sooner than zirconia ones.

Maintenance matters more than with natural teeth. You clean underneath the bridge daily with a water flosser or special floss, and come in twice a year so the bridge can be removed and cleaned properly.

Am I asleep for the surgery?

You can be. Sedation and general anesthesia are both given in this office rather than referred out, so you can choose to remember none of it.

Surgery takes about three to five hours. You will need someone to drive you home, and you should keep the next day clear.

All-on-4^® Implants in Bakersfield, CA

All-on-4^®: A Full Arch on Four Implants

Why Four Implants Hold Twelve Teeth