If you are a person who has lost several teeth and has started to look into dental implants as a treatment option, you may have heard about the ‘All-on-4’ and ‘All-on-6’ procedures during your search on the internet or during a discussion with your dentist. Both ‘All-on-4’ and ‘All-on-6’ dental implant procedures are quite similar and try to achieve the same results. Although they are similar in concept, they do have some key differences that can help you make a better decision among the two dental procedures.

The basic similarities between ‘All-on-4’ and ‘All-on-6’

Both of these treatment solutions are suitable for people who have lost a significant number of teeth in their mouth. Both of these procedures are surgical procedures and it involves surgically placing 4 or 6 implants into your jaw. These implants are placed into your jaw to provide support to the fixed or removable dentures. The implant combined with the dentures helps in maintaining your jaw’s structural integrity following a teeth loss.

And since both these procedures are full surgical procedures, they are done under general anesthesia. The primary concept of these ‘All-on solutions’ is that an entire set of teeth can be anchored onto a limited number of implants, 4 implants for All-on-4 and 6 implants for All-on-6. The ‘All-on’ concept also eliminates the need for getting individual implants for each missing tooth. Also, with the All-on approach, the healing time after the procedure is greatly reduced in comparison to getting individual implants to replace an entire set of teeth. Since these implants are placed in the jaw bone, they also prevent long term loss of jaw bone.

The difference between ‘All-on-4’ and ‘All-on-6’ Dental Implants

The obvious difference between both of these implant solutions is the number of implants that need to be placed. As mentioned earlier, four implants are required for All-on-4 and six implants for All-on-6.

The added implants in All-on-6 dental implants provide better stability and strength which results in a sturdy, comfortable and long-lasting smile. Along with better support, All-on-6 dental implants help in better dispersion of pressure throughout your jaw.

However, regardless of the advantages of the two implant solutions, based on their clinical experience, your dentist will evaluate how much supporting bone structures remain and also analyze the health of your gums to decide which type of “All-on” is best suited for you.