All on four
A way of replacing a full row of missing or failing teeth with a fixed set of replacement teeth carried on four dental implants. A major procedure, usually done across two stages rather than one visit.
A full arch, on four posts.
All the teeth in one jaw rest on four implants, with a fixed bridge of replacement teeth attached.
All on four, also written all on 4, is a way of replacing a full row of missing or failing teeth with a fixed set of replacement teeth supported by four dental implants. The name describes the idea plainly: all of the teeth in one jaw rest on four implants. Two are usually placed upright at the front of the jaw and two are angled at the back to make the most of the available bone. A bridge of replacement teeth is then fixed onto those four posts.
It is used for people who have lost most or all of their teeth in a jaw, or whose remaining teeth are too damaged to keep. The appeal is that the replacement teeth are fixed in place rather than removable like a conventional denture, and a temporary set can often be fitted soon after surgery, with a stronger final bridge made later once healing is complete. Because it relies on four implants rather than one per tooth, it can sometimes avoid the bone grafting that a larger number of implants would need.
All on four is not the only full arch option. Some people are better suited to a design using six implants, others to implants in only part of the mouth, and some are not suitable for fixed implant teeth at all. Suitability depends on bone, gum health, general health and habits such as smoking. It is a major dental procedure, not a quick cosmetic fix, and it carries the normal risks of implant surgery.
Two stages, not one trip.
All on four is one of the most common reasons people travel for dental work, because the cost at home can be high and the procedure is well established in many countries. The thing to understand before you go is that it is usually two stages separated by months of healing, not a single visit. A temporary bridge fitted on the first trip is not the finished result. The permanent bridge is made and fitted later, which often means a second trip or a clear plan for who completes the work near home.
Ask exactly what a quote includes: the implants, the temporary bridge, the final bridge, the materials used for it, the scans, and the review appointments. Ask what happens if an implant fails to integrate, who is responsible, and how a problem would be handled once you are home. Be cautious of a price that sounds far below everywhere else, since the difference often sits in the quality of the final bridge or in extras left out of the headline figure. Get Matched can put your brief to vetted clinics that set out the full two stage plan and what it covers.
Where this comes up.
Subscribe to The Second Opinion.
One short, honest dispatch a week. A cost reality, a safety question, and one thing to ask before you book anything.
Want a full arch plan you can actually read?
Send one brief and we route it to vetted clinics that itemise the implants, the temporary and the final bridge, and the follow up. You choose, with no pressure.
How we make money: the guides are free and no clinic can pay to be named, ranked or recommended, and we never name clinics. Get Matched is an optional service that helps keep the guides free and independent of any one clinic; using it is always your choice and you are never charged. How this works.