When Full Mouth Implant Treatment May Be Relevant
This page is relevant if you're missing most or all of the teeth in one jaw, or both, whether that's because of long-term dental problems, extensive decay, gum disease, or teeth that are failing and can't realistically be saved. If you have several — but not most — teeth missing, with other natural teeth remaining, see Multiple Dental Implants instead.
The Main Implant-Supported Approaches
There's more than one way to approach full-arch implant treatment. The three main approaches are outlined briefly below — each has its own page with full detail; this page doesn't repeat that detail, only how they relate to each other.
All-on-4
A specific technique that uses four implants, positioned at specific points in the jaw, to support a complete fixed arch of replacement teeth.
All-on-6
A related technique that uses six implants instead of four to support a complete fixed arch.
Implant-Supported Dentures
Denture-based designs secured by implants, which can range from a design the patient can remove themselves through to a more fixed design. This differs from All-on-4 and All-on-6 in the type of restoration involved, not just the number of implants.
What Determines Which Approach Might Be Relevant
A number of general factors are considered when comparing full-arch approaches: how much bone is available and its quality, whether a fixed or a more removable restoration is preferred, general oral and overall health, and your own priorities around maintenance and how the result should feel. This page doesn't decide which factor matters most for you — it only names the kind of things an assessment considers.
What Full Mouth Treatment Generally Involves
At a general level, full-arch treatment follows a staged process: an initial clinical examination and imaging, planning of the specific approach and implant positions, placement of the implants, a period of integration, and fitting of the final restoration. The detail of each stage depends on which specific approach is chosen and your individual case — that detail lives on each approach's own page, not here.
Considerations and Limitations
Full-arch treatment is a significant undertaking, and general considerations include the amount of bone available — bone grafting or a sinus lift may be relevant depending on your individual case (see Bone Grafting and Sinus Lift) — as well as your general health and how you feel about a fixed versus a more removable result. Outcomes and healing vary between individuals.
Related Options
If you're missing several — but not most — teeth, see Multiple Dental Implants. For bone-related preparatory procedures, see Bone Grafting and Sinus Lift.
General information only — every treatment decision follows an individual clinical assessment.