All-on-4 vs All-on-6: which full-arch option suits you?

The difference is the number of implants holding the bridge: All-on-4 uses four per jaw and All-on-6 uses six. Both replace every tooth in one jaw with a fixed bridge that is screwed onto the implants, so it never comes out at night.

All-on-4 is a full-arch technique in which four implants hold a fixed bridge: two upright at the front of the jaw and two tilted backwards at up to 45 degrees.

The tilt lets the back implants reach dense bone in front of the sinus or the nerve canal. That spreads support along the arch without needing bone at the very back of the mouth.¹

All-on-6 adds two implants, usually further back, so the chewing load is shared across six points. It needs more bone and gives the bridge more support and a safety margin.

Our All-on-4 and All-on-6 treatment guide covers the procedure and full prices. This article is about choosing between the two.

All-on-4 needs a reasonable amount of bone at the front of the jaw; All-on-6 also needs bone further back for two more implants. A 3D CT scan (CBCT) measures this in millimetres before anyone can honestly recommend either.

After teeth are lost the jaw shrinks, most of all at the back, and in the upper jaw the sinus tends to drop into the old molar space. The tilted implants of All-on-4 were designed to work around exactly this.

• Good bone front and back: either option; your bite and arch decide.
• Good bone at the front, little at the back: usually All-on-4, avoiding a graft.
• Thin bone even at the front: a bone graft first, or zygomatic implants anchored in the cheekbone.

Be cautious with any clinic that confirms All-on-4 or All-on-6 from a photo. Without a scan, nobody knows how much bone you have.

All-on-6 is often the better choice for the upper jaw, but not always. Upper bone is softer and more porous than lower bone, so spreading the load over six implants makes sense when the scan shows soft bone and room to place them.

Four implants can still work well in the upper jaw. In a study of 1,072 patients treated with All-on-4 in the upper jaw, 94.7% of implants were still in place after up to 13 years.²

In the lower jaw, a study of 471 patients followed for 10 to 18 years found 93% implant survival and 98.8% bridge survival.¹

A systematic review found that fixed full-arch bridges on four to six implants are a well-documented option in both jaws. About 95% of those bridges were still in use at 10 years.⁴ It does not show that six implants always outlast four.

In our clinic most lower jaws get four implants, and we suggest six more often in the upper jaw. All-on-4 at the bottom with All-on-6 at the top is a common, sensible mix.

Yes, six implants handle bite force better than four, because they share the chewing load between more points. Each implant and screw carries less load, which matters most for people who grind or clench and for bridges that reach far back.

The weak point of any full-arch bridge is the cantilever: the part of the bridge that extends behind the last implant. The longer it is, the more leverage every bite puts on the back implants and screws, so surgeons usually keep it to one or two teeth at most.

All-on-4 manages this by tilting the back implants so they emerge further back, which shortens the cantilever. All-on-6 manages it by placing implants further back in the first place, which can allow full molars on each side.

If you grind, a night guard protects either bridge. Once healed, both let most people eat meat and crisp fruit again, which a removable denture often makes difficult.

If one of four implants fails, the bridge usually cannot be supported on the remaining three, so the implant must be replaced first. With six, the bridge can usually stay on the other five while the failed one is replaced.

Implant failure is uncommon but real. A systematic review of All-on-4 studies counted 74 failed implants out of 4,804, and 74% of those failures happened within the first 12 months.³

In the long-term studies, smoking and earlier infections around implants were linked to more problems.¹²

While a replacement implant heals, the temporary bridge is usually adapted to the remaining implants; in some cases you wear a denture for 2 to 3 months. At Denture, implants carry a lifetime written warranty, provided you keep to your check-ups.

Later problems usually come from peri-implantitis, an infection of the gum and bone around an implant, driven by plaque.⁶ Our implant aftercare guide covers the first weeks day by day.

The temporary bridge is light acrylic and only lasts while the implants heal; the final bridge is stronger, looks more natural and is fitted 3 to 4 months later. The temporary goes in within about 72 hours of surgery, with four implants or six.

Immediate loading means fixing teeth onto implants within days of placing them, rather than waiting months. It is why you leave the first trip with fixed teeth, but it only works when each implant is held firmly in the bone on the day of surgery.

The temporary bridge is deliberately simple and designed to be replaced. In the long-term upper-jaw study, mechanical problems such as chipped or broken teeth affected 58.8% of temporary bridges, against 7.3% of final bridges.² The final material deserves as much thought as the number of implants.

You clean under the bridge every day and see a hygienist at least twice a year, with four implants or six. Once a year a dentist unscrews the bridge, cleans it and checks every implant.

Daily care means a soft toothbrush twice a day and a water flosser or floss threaded under the bridge. Six implants mean six sites to clean instead of four, a little more work for less load on each.⁶

Ask which implant system you are getting and whether a dentist at home can order parts. With Straumann® or Nobel Biocare® the answer is almost always yes.

At Denture in 2026, All-on-4 costs €4,200 per arch and All-on-6 costs €5,400 per arch, including the temporary and final zirconia bridges, hotel and airport transfers on both trips. All-on-4 on both jaws costs €8,400.

Typical private fees in the UK in 2026 are about £12,000 per arch for All-on-4, £14,000 for All-on-6 and £24,000 for both arches with four implants each. Before flights, that makes Istanbul roughly two thirds cheaper.

Implants are rarely available on the NHS, usually only for people who cannot wear dentures after mouth cancer or an accident.⁵

The difference between the two prices pays for two extra implants and their parts. For comparison, a single implant with a crown is €550 at Denture and about £1,500 privately in the UK.

Some lower quotes leave out the final bridge, the scan or the second trip. See our guide to comparing cheap implant quotes and our honest guide to dental treatment in Turkey.

Plan for two trips to Istanbul: about 5 days for surgery and fixed temporary teeth, then about 4 days for the final bridge 3 to 4 months later. The schedule is almost the same for All-on-4 and All-on-6.

The gap lets bone grow onto each implant, so be wary of a final bridge promised within one week. All-on-6 takes longer only if a sinus lift or graft is needed first, which can add 4 to 6 months and a third trip.

Flights take about 4 hours from London. UK, Irish and most EU passport holders need no visa for stays up to 90 days in 180 days, but check the current rules for your passport before you book. Our Istanbul dental trip itinerary helps you plan rest days.

Start with your own X-ray and a written plan, not a price list.

1. Get a recent panoramic X-ray from your dentist; it is enough for a first opinion.
2. Ask for a plan that names four or six implants and why. Use our free treatment plan form; a specialist replies within 24 hours.
3. Compare like with like: implant brand, final bridge material, both trips and warranty, against our All-on-4 prices and process.
4. Check the clinic, not just the country. Read is dental work in Turkey safe.