All-on-4 or Full Arch?

Is All-on-4 the Same as Full-Arch Implants?

All-on-4 is a type of full-arch implant treatment, not a separate treatment. "Full arch" means replacing all the teeth in the upper or lower jaw with a fixed bridge held on implants. All-on-4 is the name for one well-known way of doing it: four implants per arch, with the two at the back placed at an angle.

Other full-arch designs use five or six implants, sometimes all upright. You'll also see brand names and terms such as All-on-6, full-mouth implants and same-day teeth. They describe variations on the same idea: a fixed set of teeth that you don't take out.

At Comely Bank Dental in Edinburgh, full-arch implants come in three packages, starting from £12,500 per arch. Which package suits you, how many implants you need and what your final bridge is made of are worked out from your examination and CT scan, not from the name of the technique.

Why Are the Back Implants Angled?

After teeth are lost, the jaw bone gradually shrinks. In the upper jaw the sinuses sit above the back teeth, and in the lower jaw a nerve runs through the bone towards the back. Both can leave too little bone for an upright implant at the back of the mouth.

Tilting the back two implants lets them run alongside the sinus or in front of the nerve, into denser bone further forward. A longer implant can be used, and its top can still emerge far enough back to support the back teeth of the bridge.

For many people, this avoids a sinus lift or a large bone graft, which shortens treatment and reduces the number of procedures.

Four Implants or Five or Six: Which Suits Whom?

Neither approach is better in every case. The choice depends on your bone, your bite and your jaw.

A heavy bite, a history of grinding or soft bone can be reasons to add implants. With more implants, if one ever has a problem, the bridge may still be supported by the others while it is dealt with.

Here at Comely Bank, we plan the Healed ridge and With extractions packages around four implants. The Premium zirconia package can use up to six where your bone or bite needs them, with no extra charge within that package's fee.

Who Is Full-Arch Treatment Not Right For?

Full-arch implants aren't the answer for everyone. Treatment may not be the right choice, or may need extra assessment or a delay, if:

• You still have several healthy teeth that could be kept and restored.
• You have uncontrolled diabetes or another condition that affects healing.
• You smoke heavily and aren't able to stop or cut down.
• You take, or have taken, certain bone-strengthening medicines, or have had radiotherapy to the jaw.
• You aren't able to clean around the bridge every day.

There are good alternatives. Implant-retained dentures clip onto two or more implants and are removed for cleaning. A well-made conventional denture remains an option for people who can't have implants. Keeping your own teeth with gum treatment, root canal treatment and crowns is often worth exploring first.

What Is the Bridge Made From?

The bridge is the set of teeth fixed to the implants. We make it in one of two ways, and your package decides which.

Acrylic / PMMA. Acrylic teeth and gum in one fixed bridge. It is lighter, gentler on the opposing teeth and the easiest to repair or adjust. Over the years the acrylic can wear or stain and may need refreshing. You'll have it with the Healed ridge (£12,500 per arch) or With extractions (£15,000 per arch) package.

Zirconia on titanium. Zirconia is a very strong, tooth-coloured ceramic that resists staining and wear, and here it sits on a precision-milled titanium bar. It looks highly natural, but it is harder to adjust. It comes only with the Premium zirconia package (£18,500 per arch).

Whichever material you choose, the bridge is cleaned without being taken off. Our hygienist works around and beneath it every three months, and those visits are a condition of the implant guarantee.

What Happens If One Implant Has a Problem?

Full-arch implants have a good long-term record, but no treatment is free of risk. An implant can occasionally fail to bond with the bone in the first few months, or the gum and bone around an implant can become inflamed years later if plaque builds up. Grinding can also loosen screws or chip the bridge.

This is where the number of implants matters. With four implants, each one carries a larger share of the load, so losing one usually means the bridge can't be used safely until a replacement implant has healed. With five or six, the bridge may still be supported by the remaining implants while the problem is dealt with.

Most problems can be managed if they are picked up early. That is why regular reviews, professional cleaning and a night guard for people who grind are part of looking after a full arch.

Can You Get Teeth on the Same Day?

On our Premium zirconia package, often yes. If the implants are firm enough in the bone at the time of surgery, a fixed temporary bridge can usually be fitted the same day or within a day or so. You leave with teeth rather than a gap, though you'll need to stick to soft foods while the implants heal.

The final bridge follows a few months later, once the implants have fused with the bone and the gums have settled. Whether teeth can go on that day depends on your bone: how good it is, and how firmly the implants sit when they're placed. That means it can't be confirmed until surgery. If the implants aren't firm enough on the day, a temporary denture may be used instead while they heal, as your written plan explains, and your package fee doesn't change. On the Healed ridge package you keep your current denture while the implants heal, and on the With extractions package you have a removable temporary denture. Our separate guide to teeth in a day explains the process in more detail.

How Much Do Full-Arch Implants Cost in Edinburgh?

Full-arch implants at Comely Bank Dental start from £12,500 per arch. That is below the typical published full-arch price in Edinburgh. Among Edinburgh practices that publish their fees (October 2026), full-arch prices run from about £9,500 to £22,000 per arch.

What sets your fee:

• Your package. Healed ridge is £12,500, With extractions £15,000 and Premium zirconia £18,500, all per arch. The package fixes how many implants are placed, whether extractions and routine grafting are included, what you wear while healing and the final bridge.
• Zirconia. Zirconia teeth on a titanium bar come only with Premium zirconia; the other two packages finish with acrylic / PMMA.
• Work beyond the package. Bone augmentation beyond routine grafting, and sinus procedures, are priced on top.
• Sedation. IV sedation is available if you'd like it, at an extra fee.
• One arch or both. Each arch is priced separately, so both jaws mean two fees.

Your fees are agreed in writing before treatment begins, so you know the total for your plan.

How Is Treatment Planned?

Planning starts with a free consultation at our Comely Bank practice, a 3D CT scan (£160) and a digital scan of your mouth. From these, the implant positions are planned around your bone, nerves and sinuses, and the bridge is designed so the teeth sit correctly for your face and bite.

On the Premium zirconia package, the implants are then placed using MegaGen's R2 guided surgery system, where a custom 3D-printed guide made from the plan helps each implant go into the planned position. On the other two packages, Dr Kalsi places the implants following the same 3D plan. Dr Davinder Kalsi has placed over 2,000 implants over more than ten years (from our practice records).

Questions

This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.