“Some edentulous patients thought teeth-in-a-day couldn’t be possible. When they visited my practice I could tell them – it is.”
As owner and operator of a dental practice for over 30 years, specializing in implantology for over 20, Dr. Bernd Quantius has had a firsthand view of game-changing developments during that time. But what transformed his practice most was the All-on-4® treatment concept, becoming one of the first in his region to offer edentulous patients a new smile in a day.* He explained to us how and why this benefitted his practice and patients.
Dr. Quantius, can you please tell us a bit about your professional background and how you were introduced to the All-on-4® treatment concept?
“I opened my practice in 1987, and began to focus on implantology in 2000. A turning point for me came in 2007 when I was at a congress where Dr. Paulo Maló was speaking about the All-on-4® treatment concept. It was completely new to me, and I thought that it was either crazy or genius.
“To work out which was true, I went to his clinic to see it in action. As soon as I saw that it worked, I knew it was genius – I knew I had to introduce this to my practice.”
When did you perform your first All-on-4® treatment concept case?
“My first cases began back in 2007. I started with easier cases with a lot of bone in the lower jaw. After a few cases, I thought I could move on to more difficult cases in the upper jaw, but it became clear that more training was needed. After a few years and courses with Dr. Maló, I began to treat more difficult cases and integrated NobelZygoma implants into my workflows.
“Now, I’m able to treat almost all upper jaw cases with a fixed prosthesis.”
How long did it take you to go from straightforward to severe cases?
“It took me around four years to progress from treating straightforward cases only, to treating the majority of cases presented that met the concept’s criteria. For the most extreme cases – i.e. treating the severely resorbed edentulous maxilla with NobelZygoma implants – it took an extra year or so. If you are a maxillofacial surgeon, you might be able to get to that stage quicker because of your experience, but if you’re a normal dentist, this is about how long you can expect it to take.
“It’s not just the easy cases that the All-on-4® treatment concept can be used for – as I’ve said, you can use it in very difficult cases as well. For these ones, there’s a learning curve and courses that you need to attend but, with time, you can treat nearly all implant cases that this concept was designed for.”
What have the key benefits of the All-on-4® treatment concept been for your practice?
“Essentially, I can offer patients faster treatment and greater comfort with this concept compared to treatment with prolonged grafting procedures. Since we don’t conduct bone augmentation, patients can have a full-arch prosthesis on the same day as their surgery* – which is something that my patients are very happy with.
“Many wouldn’t have accepted implant treatment without this concept – patients who are time-poor, but also patients who are very afraid of the dentist and want as little chair-time as possible. As a result, the patient volume of my practice has increased – before the All-on-4® treatment concept, we placed around 100 implants a year, and now we’re placing over 800.
“The team of dentists here has also grown from just me, to five more.”
Does the All-on-4® treatment concept help make you stand out more from other practices?
“Most other dentists in my city do not offer this treatment. Some edentulous patients thought teeth-in-a-day could never be possible. They visited my practice I could tell them – it is.”
“In the last couple of years, I’ve noticed that more patients have become aware some type of faster and easier implant treatment exists, but not all of them, and not in much detail. It is important for us to publicize clearly, particularly on our website, that teeth-in-a-day is possible in many cases at our practice.**
“Other dentists may have told them that teeth in a day just isn’t possible. When they find my website and our specialism, along with the recommendations and testimonials of patients in a similar situation, this gives them the hope that fast treatment could happen. So, they come and visit my practice.”
What kind of clinician should consider integrating the All-on-4® treatment concept into their dental practice? What advice would you give them?
“They should have experience in placing implants, and they need to have a strong desire to improve their skills so that they can give more patients better treatment options.
“Clinicians who want to integrate this into their practice should first visit a clinic that is performing the All-on-4® treatment concept treatments so they can see it firsthand and talk about what it means for a practice, and what benefits it brings to patients.”
For clinicians interested in the All-on-4® treatment concept, we offer a range of training courses and webinars. Find out more.