Full-mouth dental implants
Last updated: 3rd December 2022
Written by Dr Zaeem Jafri
If you’re in the unfortunate situation where you don’t have any teeth in your upper or lower jaws, there are 3 main options for you to choose from to replace your teeth:
Removable dentures
Dentures that are clipped into your mouth with the help of implants
An implant bridge which is fixed into your jaw
Contrary to what many people think, full mouth implant treatment may be more straightforward than you may think. To replace a full row of teeth, you don’t need to have 16 individual implants. Instead, placing four implants with a bridge over the top is the best and most convenient way to replace a full arch.
Unlike removable dentures, which often move around in your mouth, making eating and speaking difficult. Implants are fixed into your jawbone, providing strong and stable teeth. You won’t need to worry about them popping out at the wrong moment.
Full mouth fixed implant bridge
The best option to replace missing teeth across an entire arch is to have a bridge fixed into your mouth with the assistance of implants.
Usually, this is achieved by placing either 4 or 6 implants in precise locations in your jaw. Once these implants have integrated with your bone, your dentist will make a bridge across your whole jaw to replace your teeth.
By only placing 4 implants rather than 16 individual ones you are avoiding lots of unnecessary surgery and cost. This treatment is often called:
All on 4
All on X
Teeth in a day / Smile in a day
Same day smile
If your jawbone is too small, your dentist may advise you to have 6 implants instead to provide extra stability.
Implant bridges work extremely well and allow you to carry out your everyday life as if you had natural teeth.
Implant retained dentures
Implant-retained dentures are a good cost-effective option to consider if a fixed bridge is outside your budget.
These dentures are still removable like normal dentures. However, your dentist will place 2,4 or 6 implants in your jaw with small ‘clips’ called locators. When you put your dentures in, they will clip into these locators, keeping them more stable than normal dentures that rely on suction to your gums.
Implant-retained dentures must be removed at night to keep them clean, but they will be much more stable when you eat and chew. Although tougher foods like nuts and steaks may still be difficult.
One way to upgrade your implant-retained dentures is to replace the small locators with a bigger bar that the denture can fit into. Due to the size of the bar and how it seats into the denture, the final solution will be much more stable than the small locators.
The addition of a bar will add some cost to your treatment, but it will make the denture significantly better to use. If you have struggled to look after your teeth well in the past and have lost them due to gum disease, then a bar-retained denture may be a good choice for you as it will allow you to remove the denture and clean the heads of the implants easily.
How much do full mouth implants costs?
Many factors affect the cost of your full-mouth dental implant treatment. As a rough guide, below you’ll find some approximate costs for the different solutions mentioned above.
A fixed bridge retained on 4 or 6 implants will cost around £12,000 - £15,000 per arch.
An implant retained denture on a bar will cost around £9,000 - £10,000 per arch.
An implant retained denture on locators will cost around £7000 - £8,000 per arch.
Your treatment will be more expensive if you need to have several teeth removed first, if you require extensive bone grafting or if you are visiting an extremely high-quality dentist and choosing to have cosmetic upgrades to your final teeth.
We’ve made a useful implant cost calculator tool for you to instantly work out how much your implant treatment is likely to cost.
Most dental practices will offer payment plans that allow you to spread the cost of your treatment over 12 - 60 months.
How long does full mouth implant treatment take?
Each individual is different, and your timings and stages will vary depending on your situation. Below you’ll find the typical stages of full-mouth dental implant treatment. The total time can take around 6-9 months; however, your dentist will always make sure you have some temporary teeth to be using throughout that period (either a temporary bridge or a temporary denture.
If you are lucky, you may qualify for ‘smile in a day’ treatment, where all the initial stages of your full mouth dental implant treatment are carried out in a single appointment.
Diagnostics and planning (2 weeks)
Before starting your treatment, your dentist will complete a full assessment and gather records such as pictures, videos, x-rays, scans and impressions. They will use this information to work with their lab technician to plan what your final teeth will look like and where in your jaw the ideal position for the implants is.
Surgical stages (3-6 months)
The surgical stages of the treatment involve:
Removing any failing teeth.
Placing a bone graft as required.
Placing the implants in the correct positions.
These stages are usually done across two appointments 8-12 weeks apart; however, they can sometimes be done on the same day if your situation allows it.
Restorative stages (3 months)
Once your implants have settled and healed, your dentist will begin constructing the bridge/denture that will sit on top of the implants. This process can take 2-4 appointments (2 weeks apart), depending on your chosen solution.
Same-day smile dental implant treatment
If you are being treated by a skilled dentist and your clinical situation allows for it, you may be able to have your teeth removed, implants placed, and a temporary bridge made all in 1 single appointment. This treatment is commonly known as ‘smile in a day or ‘same-day smile.’
After your treatment appointment, you will walk away with a provisional implant retained bridge which your dentist will replace with a permanent bridge around three months later.
Looking after your full mouth implants
Full-mouth dental implant treatment is designed to help you live your life as if you had regular teeth. However, there are some specific requirements for you to make sure your work stays healthy and in good shape. If you don’t look after your final restorations, your implants can become infected, which can cause pain, swelling and even failure (where they get loose and fall out).
Dental implants, if looked after well, will last for over 20 years. However, if you fail to keep them clean and have them reviewed regularly by a dentist, they can fail much sooner. The bridge/denture that sits over your implants will most likely need replacing every 15-20 years.
Looking after a fixed implant bridge
Since you can’t remove a fixed implant bridge yourself, you need to make sure you are cleaning thoroughly around the bridge, including underneath the bridge and around the connection between your bridge and implant.
You also need to make sure you are visiting your dentist regularly (ideally every 6 or 12 months) so that they can monitor the implants with x-rays and ensure they are healthy. your dentist will also periodically remove your fixed implant bridge, and clear away any build-up of calculus around your implants before replacing the bridge into position.
Looking after an implant-retained denture
An implant-retained denture needs to be removed at night and cleaned thoroughly to prevent bacteria from building up at night when your saliva rate is low. You also need to make sure you are cleaning your implant locators and/or bar in your mouth with a toothbrush.
What can go wrong with full mouth implant dentures?
No treatment is ever risk-free, and implant dentures are no different. If you look after your work well and make sure you visit your dentist regularly, you should be able to get many years out of your implant treatment. However, a failure to maintain them properly can have consequences.
The implants don’t take to your jawbone.
There is a 1/20 risk that the implant placed in your jaw doesn’t take. Usually, the dentist will try again and place a new implant, but if the failure keeps happening, then alternative solutions may need to be discussed.
The bridge/denture chips or breaks
Your prosthesis can chip or break due to biting on hard items or grinding. Your dentist will repair these breaks or replace the entire prosthesis if required.
The implants fail
If food or plaque bacteria build up around the implant, the implants can either get infected, or they can start failing. If they fail, implants will become loose and will need to be removed and replaced
Chat with our dentists about implants
If you are interested in exploring your full mouth dental implant options, you chat to one of our dentists online for free. We’ll be able to assess your teeth, give you more personalised information about what to expect from implant treatment and refer you to the best practices near you.