All-on-4 Dental Implants in Antalya

What All-on-4 is

All-on-4 is one of the full-arch options within our dental implants treatment. Four implants are placed in one jaw, and a complete arch of teeth, made as one bridge, is screwed onto them. You do not take it out at night, and it does not rest on your gums the way a denture does. People also call it a fixed full arch, full-arch implants, or teeth on four implants.

All-on-4 is a widely used full-arch approach, and the same principle works with different implant systems; at our clinic the four implants are usually NTA, and Straumann can be planned if you prefer it. If you are still deciding between four implants and six, our guide to All-on-4 and All-on-6 compared sets the two side by side, and our page on All-on-6 dental implants covers the six-implant option in detail.

All-on-4 replaces a whole arch. It is not the answer for one or two missing teeth, where single implants or a small bridge on implants are usually better. It does not save teeth that could be kept, and it needs enough bone at the front of the jaw to hold four implants firmly.

Why the back implants are angled

The feature that sets All-on-4 apart is the angle of the two back implants. The two front implants go in more or less straight. The two back ones are tilted, so that they enter the bone further forward and lean back towards the position of the missing back teeth.

There are good reasons for this. After teeth are lost, the bone at the back of the jaw often shrinks first and most. In the upper jaw the sinus sits just above the back teeth, and as bone is lost it can leave very little height to work with. In the lower jaw the nerve that supplies feeling to the lip and chin runs through the bone at the back. By angling the implants, the surgeon can use the firmer, taller bone towards the front while keeping clear of the sinus and the nerve.

For many people that means no sinus lift or bone graft before the implants go in, and one surgery instead of two. The angle also lets the implants support teeth further back than straight implants in the same bone could. It does not remove the need for bone altogether: the front of the jaw still has to be strong enough, and the 3D scan is what shows it.

Who it suits, and who it does not

All-on-4 usually suits you if

• you have lost all the teeth in one jaw, or those left cannot be saved;
• you wear a full denture and want teeth that stay fixed;
• you have lost bone at the back of the jaw, and would rather avoid grafting if you can;
• you are in reasonable general health and can travel twice, a few months apart.

We would suggest something else, or caution, if

• Only a few teeth are missing. Replacing sound teeth to fit a full arch is rarely right. Single implants or a bridge on implants are covered on our dental implants page.
• You have good bone along the jaw and a strong bite. Six implants may spread the load better; see All-on-6.
• There is very little bone even at the front. Grafting may be needed first. Our guide to bone grafting and sinus lifts explains what that involves.
• You smoke heavily, or have diabetes that is not well controlled. Both raise the chance that an implant does not take. With only four implants holding the arch, each one matters.
• You take medicines for bone density, or have had radiotherapy to the head or neck. Tell us before any plan is made.

Upper and lower jaw

All-on-4 can be used in either jaw, and the price list treats each jaw as one arch. The jaws are not quite the same, though.

In the upper jaw the bone is usually softer and the sinus is the main limit at the back. Angling the back implants past the front wall of the sinus is often what makes the plan work without a sinus lift. Because the upper bridge also supports the lip, how much of your gum and teeth show when you smile is planned with it.

In the lower jaw the bone is usually denser, and the nerve is the main limit at the back. The implants are placed between the two points where the nerves leave the bone, and the scan is used to keep a safe distance from them.

If you need both jaws, that is two arches. They can be done at the same visit or in stages; your written plan says which the surgeon recommends and why.

The bridge: temporary and final

The teeth are one bridge, screwed to the four implants, so only a dentist can remove it. It is designed to replace both the teeth and some of the gum and bone that have been lost, which is why a full-arch bridge often includes pink gum-coloured material at the base.

In many cases a fixed temporary bridge is attached soon after surgery, if the implants are firm enough when they are placed. It lets you smile and eat soft food while the bone heals. Whether that applies to you, and when, depends on how firm the implants are, and your plan says so. If they are not firm enough, the surgeon will explain the alternative for the healing months.

The final bridge is made on the second visit, once the implants have healed. Your mouth is scanned, the bridge is designed and made in our in-house dental lab, then tried in and adjusted for your bite and your smile before it is screwed in. In the priced All-on-4 the final bridge carries zirconia crowns, and your written plan confirms the materials.

NTA or Straumann for All-on-4

All-on-4 is on our price list with NTA implants, our standard Swiss system. A full arch on Straumann implants can also be planned, and is priced individually.

Both are made for the same job. Some patients choose Straumann because a dentist at home is likely to have the parts if work is ever needed on the implants years from now. The surgeon recommends a system from your scan, and your written plan names the system and model placed.

Your treatment, day by day in Antalya

Before you travel

Send us a recent panoramic X-ray or CBCT scan if you have one, photographs of your teeth or denture, and a note of your health and medicines. Tell us whether you wear a denture now and how well it fits. A dentist replies with whether All-on-4 looks likely, the number of visits and a written price. It is provisional until the scan in Antalya confirms the bone.

First visit, day one: the scan and your plan

The surgeon examines your mouth, takes a 3D CBCT scan and records your jaws with an intraoral scanner. From the scan the positions and angles of the four implants are planned. You go through the plan together, including which teeth come out, and agree it and the price in writing.

Surgery day

Under local anaesthetic, any remaining teeth that cannot be kept are removed, the sockets are cleaned, and the four implants are placed. A full arch takes longer than a single implant; the surgeon tells you roughly how long to expect.

Before you fly

We see you again in the following days to check healing and, where planned, fit the temporary bridge. Rest, keep to soft food, and let Antalya do the rest. The surgeon tells you when it is safe to fly.

Second visit: your final bridge

After a few months the surgeon checks that each implant is firm. Your mouth is scanned for the lab, the final bridge is tried in, adjusted and screwed into place, and you are shown how to clean it.

How many days and visits

All-on-4 is two visits on our price list. The gap between them is usually a few months, commonly three to six, while the bone heals around the implants. We usually suggest allowing about a week for each visit, sometimes a little longer for the first. Your written plan confirms the visits and days before you book flights. Treat these figures as typical, not promised.

The price

On our dental price list All-on-4 is €5,700 per arch with NTA implants. An arch is one jaw, so both jaws are two arches. The per-arch price includes the four implants, the extractions of any teeth that cannot be kept, the temporary prosthesis and the permanent prosthesis with zirconia crowns. If you would rather have Straumann implants, the arch is priced individually in your written plan after we have seen your scan.

Anything your case needs on top is listed in your written plan, so you see the total before you agree. A bone graft, if one is needed, is priced in your plan. You pay in euros, by cash, credit card or bank transfer, and the payment is split over the two visits, so you pay for each stage when you come for it.

All-on-4 is also offered as an all-inclusive package, Smile Liberation; what it includes is on our smile packages page. Our full mouth restoration cost guide shows how larger plans add up, and the treatment plan builder works from the same list.

Living with All-on-4

The first weeks

• Expect swelling and bruising for several days after a full-arch surgery.
• Keep to soft food while the implants heal, and do not bite into hard food with the temporary bridge.
• Do not smoke. It is one of the main reasons implants fail to take.
• Rinse and clean as you are shown, without disturbing the stitches.

Speaking and eating

A fixed bridge feels different from a denture and from your own teeth. Most people need a little time for their tongue and lips to adjust, and some words may sound different at first. Chewing usually improves as you get used to it, but it is sensible to take care with very hard foods, as with natural teeth.

Back home

Food collects under a full-arch bridge, so clean under it every day with a water flosser or special floss as well as a toothbrush. See your own dentist and hygienist regularly; from time to time the bridge may be unscrewed so the implants can be checked and cleaned. If you grind your teeth, ask about a night guard. Our guide to implant aftercare with your dentist at home covers what to tell them. If anything worries you, send us a photo on WhatsApp.

Risks, and what can go wrong

• Swelling, bruising and discomfort for several days, more than after a single implant.
• An implant that does not integrate. With four implants carrying the arch, losing one can affect the whole bridge until it is replaced.
• Nerve injury in the lower jaw, causing tingling or numbness of the lip or chin, usually temporary.
• Sinus problems in the upper jaw, such as congestion or, rarely, infection.
• A broken or loosened bridge. Teeth can chip and screws can loosen, especially if you grind.
• Peri-implantitis. Inflammation around the implants can, over years, destroy the bone that holds them.

We will not promise how long your bridge will last or that every implant will take. Bone, health and habits vary. What we can do is plan the angles on a 3D scan, tell you your own risks honestly and see you through both visits.

Who carries out your treatment

Full-arch cases at Persona Smile are planned and carried out by our dental team. The dentist who treats you is named in your written plan; every dentist is on our dentists page.

Before and after pictures

We only show pictures of our own patients, with their written consent. As consented All-on-4 cases are added they appear here and in our smile stories.

Next steps

Send us your X-ray, or photographs if you have no X-ray, when you book a free consultation, or on WhatsApp. A dentist will tell you whether four implants look right for you and give you a written price from our price list. You can also read about Persona Smile, our dental clinic in Antalya, or see all our smile treatments.