When patients have lost most or all of their teeth, they face a choice between All-on-4 and All-on-6 — two protocols that look similar but differ in important clinical ways.
If you have been told you need full-arch tooth replacement — either because you have lost most of your teeth, or because remaining ones must be extracted due to severe disease — you have most likely encountered the terms All-on-4 and All-on-6. They sound similar, and on the surface they are: both place dental implants and a fixed bridge of teeth. But the clinical decisions behind choosing one over the other matter for the long-term outcome.
This guide explains the difference, who benefits from each, and how the decision is made at WeCare Dental Clinic in Antalya.
What All-on-4 Actually Is
All-on-4 was developed by Nobel Biocare and trademarked in the early 2000s. The concept: replace an entire arch of teeth (12 teeth) using only 4 strategically placed implants instead of the 6-8 used in traditional full-arch protocols.
The innovation is angle. The two front implants are placed vertically. The two rear implants are placed at a 30-45° angle, which lets them use the maximum available bone in the front of the jaw — bypassing areas where bone has shrunk after tooth loss.
A temporary acrylic bridge is screwed onto the four implants on the same day, which is why "teeth in a day" became the famous All-on-4 promise. The final permanent bridge (zirconia or hybrid) is placed 3 months later after osseointegration.
What All-on-6 Adds
All-on-6 places 6 implants per arch — 4 vertical + 2 angled. The additional 2 vertical implants in the middle of the jaw provide:
1. More bite-force distribution — load is spread across 6 anchors instead of 4
2. Better safety margin — if 1 implant fails (rare), the remaining 5 still support the bridge
3. Better long-term durability for patients with heavy bite forces (bruxism)
Who Should Get Each
All-on-4 is the right choice when:
All-on-6 is the right choice when:
How the Decision is Made at WeCare
We do not make this decision based on price. The deciding factors are:
1. 3D CBCT scan analysis — measures bone volume in millimeters, identifies areas of severe atrophy
2. Bite force assessment — clinical examination of jaw movement, history of grinding, history of cracked teeth
3. Diabetic / smoker status — both increase implant failure risk; All-on-6 provides more redundancy
4. Patient age and life expectancy — younger patients (under 50) often benefit from the extra durability of All-on-6
5. Patient priority — fastest treatment vs maximum durability is sometimes a trade-off
In about 70% of cases, All-on-4 is the right answer. The other 30% benefit from All-on-6.
Surgical and Clinical Differences
Both have excellent long-term outcomes. The differences are real but small.
Same-Day Teeth — Realistic Expectations
The "teeth in a day" promise is real but with conditions. On day 2 of your visit:
1. Surgery is performed under local anesthesia + IV sedation if requested. 2-4 hours per arch.
2. The temporary acrylic bridge is screwed onto the implants while you are still in the chair.
3. You leave the clinic with a complete set of teeth.
What you get is a temporary fixed bridge. It is functional for soft-to-medium foods. It is aesthetically pleasing. But it is acrylic, not porcelain, and it is not designed for hard biting (steak, raw vegetables, hard bread). The temporary phase lasts 3 months while your implants integrate with the bone.
The final permanent bridge is placed at month 4. This is zirconia or hybrid (zirconia + acrylic), much more durable, and designed for normal everyday eating.
What the 3-Month Healing Phase is Like
This is the phase that surprises most patients. While you are at home with the temporary bridge:
Cost Comparison and Value
All-on-6 typically costs 20-25% more than All-on-4 because of the additional 2 implants. For most patients, this premium is worth paying if there is even a 50/50 case for needing more support — bone density is dense enough, or bite force is heavy.
For European medical tourism patients, the total cost of All-on-4 in Turkey (per arch, all-inclusive of hotel + transfers + multilingual coordinator) is roughly equivalent to 1/4 of UK private pricing or 1/3 of German private pricing.
For a free written treatment plan that specifies whether All-on-4 or All-on-6 is right for your specific case, send your panoramic X-ray (OPG) to WhatsApp. We respond within 24 hours.
