All-on-4 replaces a whole upper or lower arch of teeth with one fixed bridge held by four titanium implants. All-on-6 uses six. The front implants go in straight; the two at the back are tilted, which lets them reach good bone without running into the sinus in the upper jaw or the nerve in the lower jaw. Because of that angle, many people who have been told they lack bone can have fixed teeth without a separate bone graft first.
Who it’s for
It suits adults who have lost all or most of the teeth in one jaw, or whose remaining teeth are failing, for example from advanced gum disease. Many people who choose it have worn a full denture for years and want teeth that don’t move when they eat or talk.
It is a large operation, so we look at your general health as well as your mouth. Smoking, poorly controlled diabetes, radiotherapy to the jaw and some bone medicines raise the risk or change the plan. Tell us about all of them when you send your X-ray.
How it’s done
Day one starts with a free examination and panoramic X-ray. A 3D scan (CBCT) is used to plan the implant positions and the length of each implant. Teeth that can’t be kept are removed, the bone is levelled where needed, and the implants are placed. Surgery takes about three to four hours per jaw, under local anaesthesia or sedation.
Over the next few days a fixed temporary bridge is made and screwed onto the implants, usually within 72 hours. It is lighter and simpler than the final bridge, designed to protect the implants while they heal. You stay in Antalya for five to seven days in total so that we can check the wounds and the bite before you fly.
After three to six months of healing at home, you come back for five to seven days. The final bridge is made in zirconia, tried in so you can approve shape, shade and length, and then screwed in place.
Before you travel
Send a panoramic X-ray and, if you have one, a recent 3D scan, along with your medicines and medical history. If you take blood thinners, don’t stop them yourself; we agree a plan with you and your doctor. If you are having sedation, travel with someone who can stay with you for the first 24 hours. Plan for both trips before you book the first.
Afterwards
Swelling and bruising peak on the second or third day and settle over about a week. For the first weeks you eat soft food that needs little chewing; the temporary bridge isn’t built for nuts, crusty bread or biting into apples. Don’t smoke while the implants heal.
Speech can feel different for a few days while your tongue gets used to the new shape. Cleaning matters more than with natural teeth, because food collects under the bridge: brush twice a day, use interdental brushes and a water flosser, and have a professional clean and check-up at least once a year.
Risks and alternatives
Possible problems include infection, an implant that doesn’t fuse, a cracked temporary bridge, numbness in the lip if a nerve is irritated, and, years later, peri-implantitis if the bridge isn’t kept clean. If one implant fails, the bridge can often stay on the others while it is replaced, which is one reason six implants are sometimes preferred.
Alternatives include a conventional denture, a removable denture that clips onto two to four implants, or individual implants with smaller bridges where enough bone and good teeth remain. Your written plan compares the options that fit your X-ray.
Which option suits your teeth?
Send photos or an X-ray and we’ll write, tooth by tooth, what we recommend and why.
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