All-on-4® and All-on-6® Implants:

The Remarkable Solution For Missing Teeth

Sometimes, no matter how excellent your oral hygiene routine is, you can still wind up with missing teeth; especially in your golden years. 


There are many common reasons for tooth loss in adults. Nutrition, bad habits like smoking, genetics, trauma to the mouth, medications, and age all play a part in your dental health. For most people, losing their adult teeth is not a matter of if, but when. 


For the longest time, the only solution available was dentures. And to be fair, dentures are a great solution for people who don't mind the side effects like losing bone mass in your jaw. But you can't really call it your choice if there are no other options, can you? 


Thanks to modern implant dentistry, now you do have a choice. 


At SmileOn Dentistry, we are proud to offer All-on-4® and All-on-6® implants to our patients. People all over the world have experienced the life-changing results of these implants. Now you can see the difference for yourself right here in our Centreville, VA dental office. 


Keep reading to learn more about this innovative smile restoration procedure and find out the answers to these common questions: 


  • What are All-on-4® and All-on-6® implants?
  • What's the difference between this and traditional implants?
  • How exactly does it work?
  • Should I choose All-on-4® or All-on-6®?
  • How long will these implants last? 
dental implant image
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One of the Best Tooth Replacement Options

All-on-4® and All-on-6® implants were developed by a company called Nobel Biocare over twenty years ago. The secret to their success is twofold:  the dental implants themselves, and the procedure by which they're placed. 


Nobel Biocare is an internationally recognized leader in dentistry for their innovative dental implant designs. They created the All-on-4® procedure to solve the problems that dentures and traditional implants could not. 



The way it works is simple:  with traditional dental implants, you need one surgical site and one implant per missing tooth. This is fine if you are only missing one or two teeth; but the cost adds up fast the more implants you need. 


All-on-4® and All-on-6® implants solve this problem using good old-fashioned engineering! 


Think of it like the bridges you've seen on the road. A bridge can stretch over a river, for example, with relatively few support beams holding it up. The support beams are carefully placed and designed to bear the weight of the bridge itself and the cars that cross it. 


All-on-4® and All-on-6® implants operate in a similar way. With only four implants, they can support your entire upper or lower arch of teeth. Or, in other cases, your entire arch of teeth can be supported by just six implants depending on the procedure you choose. 


Either way you choose, this innovative design makes All-on-4® and All-on-6® dental implants one of the fastest, easiest, and most cost-effective tooth replacement options available.

What's the difference Between All-on-4® or All-on-6® Implants and Traditional Implants?

Since all three of these procedures are part of the field of implant dentistry, they are extremely similar. Each one involves a surgery designed to replace missing adult teeth by implanting a metal post deep into your gums, which acts as the new "root" of your replacement tooth. The main difference between them is which type of dental problems each one can fix. 


Traditional implants are best done for people who are missing one or more teeth (not necessarily in a row). Since these implants can only replace one tooth at a time, this is a perfect option for someone with one missing tooth. But if you are missing most or all of your teeth, the amount of time it would take to replace each one with a dental implant would be tremendous. That's why most people in the past opted for dentures because they were easier than getting over twenty individual implants. 


All-on-4® and All-on-6® implants, as their names imply, are not limited in the same way as traditional implants. With the All-on-4® procedure, your entire upper or bottom arch of teeth can be replaced—and held in place—with just four implants. And (naturally) the All-on-6® procedure achieves the same result with only six dental implants. 



Because these innovative methods require fewer dental implants, they tend to be much more affordable than restoring your smile with individual implants alone.  


All-on-4® and All-on-6® Implants

  • Between four and six implants
  • Permanent solution
  • Lower overall cost to replace full mouth
  • Best option to replace most or all adult teeth

Traditional Implants

  • One implant per tooth
  • Permanent solution
  • Higher overall cost to replace full mouth
  • Best option to replace one or a few adult teeth

How Exactly Does It Work?

One dental implant can hold more than one tooth, but there are limits. Usually, as with implant bridges, you might have two implants holding a maximum of four teeth. 


But All-on-4® implants can secure your entire upper or lower set of teeth with as little as four implants because of how they're placed during the surgery. Two of the implants are put in vertically, and the other two are placed diagonally. This gives them enough grip and strength to hold a complete arch of replacement teeth. 


All-on-6® implants work the same way, but they also cover more area in the jaw which enables them to support more replacement teeth.

Which One Should I Choose: All-on-4® or All-on-6®?

At your appointment, our expert dentists will do a comprehensive examination of your mouth. This will include x-rays and other imaging that allows us to get a complete picture of your dental health, your jawbone structure, and other important factors. 



Once the dentist has gone over the results of your examination, they will give you a professional recommendation for either All-on-4® or All-on-6® implants and explain why the recommended option will be best for your circumstances. 



In general, the All-on-4® dental implants procedure works best for patients with small or weaker jawbones. By using only four implants, your jawbone will have enough space and bone matter to hold the implants and support your new teeth. 



All-on-6® implants generally work better for patients with larger or stronger jawbones. Again, it is a matter of space and the amount of bone matter available, as your jawbone will start to grow over the implants when the surgery heals. 



In some cases, you may need a bone grafting surgery prior to the dental implant procedure. This will build up any weak spots in your jawbone and provide more support for the implants.

How Long Do All-on-4® and All-on-6® Implants Last?

Your new teeth can last a whole lifetime with proper oral hygiene and routine visits to your friendly Centreville dentist! On top of that, Nobel Biocare offers a lifetime warranty for their implants. If you ever need a replacement, your beautiful new smile is covered by the manufacturer.


In Summary

To recap, losing adult teeth is extremely common. Thanks to modern dentistry, you now have multiple tooth replacement options to choose from:


Dentures

  • A valid option but less secure than dental implants
  • Need to be replaced about every 5 years
  • Some patients need adhesives to keep dentures in place

Traditional Implants 

  • Good for replacing one missing tooth at a time
  • A permanent solution for missing teeth
  • The more teeth you are missing, the more implants you would need—which can get expensive

All-on-4® Implants

  • Able to hold your entire upper or lower arch of teeth on only four implants
  • A permanent solution for missing teeth
  • They can last a lifetime with proper care

All-on-6® Implants

  • Able to hold your entire upper or lower arch of teeth on only six implants
  • A permanent solution for missing teeth
  • They can last a lifetime with proper care

Visit SmileOn Dentistry in Centreville, VA 20121

Losing your adult teeth can be troubling, but our team at SmileOn Dentistry will be here to help you choose the best tooth replacement option for your needs. When you are ready to take the next step in improving your dental health, call us to schedule your appointment! 


We offer traditional, All-on-4®, and All-on-6® implants right here in our Centreville, VA, dental office. We can handle every service you may need, including x-rays, bone grafts, and implant placement surgery. That means you won't need to schedule multiple appointments with different dentists all over town—we can do it all for you right here!


All you have to do is call our dental office at (703) 543-8112 and schedule your appointment. Our team of caring professionals is ready and waiting to find out how we can best serve your dental health needs. 


It's your smile—you deserve to wear it on your own terms!

Call (703) 543-8112 Today