Is All-on-6 better than All-on-4?

Not automatically — six implants spread the load of a full arch across more anchors, but they need enough bone to be placed in. All-on-4 exists because angled implants can work where bone is limited, and in that situation it is often the option that avoids a graft. Where the bone is adequate and the bite is heavy, six spreads the load further. Which one suits you comes from what the scan shows rather than from a preference.

How do you decide which I need?

The decision comes from the 3D cone beam scan: how much bone there is, where it is, and what your bite is doing. Adding two more implants requires bone to put them in, so the volume and position of the bone set the limits. A heavy bite is the case where the extra support of six earns its place. Where bone has been lost, a graft or sinus lift may change what is possible, and that is assessed from the same scan.

Is the result removable?

No — the prosthesis is fixed to the implants and stays in the mouth. That is the difference from implant supported dentures, which are the removable equivalent. Because the arch is carried by the implants rather than resting on the gum, chewing load passes into the jaw, which is what stops the bone resorbing the way it does under a denture that rests on the gum.

What if I do not have enough bone for six?

Then the options are All-on-4, or a bone graft or sinus lift first to change what is possible. All-on-4 uses angled implants precisely so that it can work where bone is limited, and it is often the option that avoids a graft. All three routes are assessed from the same 3D cone beam scan, so the answer depends on how much bone there is and where it is.

Oral Surgery

All-on-6 Implants in Downtown Los Angeles

The same idea as All-on-4, with two more points of support.

Where there is bone for it, six implants distribute the load of a full arch across more anchors than four. Smile LA Downtown Modern Dentistry decides between the two from the scan, not from a preference.

Book an Appointment Call the Practice

Dr. Kourosh Yousefzadeh reviewing imaging on a chairside monitor while an assistant works

Why six

What the extra two implants buy

Load. A full arch of teeth generates significant force, and spreading it across six anchors rather than four reduces what any single implant has to carry. Where the bone volume supports six, that is a structural advantage — most noticeably toward the back of the arch, where chewing forces are highest and the shorter span is doing the most work. The rest of the design is unchanged from All-on-4: the prosthesis attaches to the implants and stays in the mouth, and the load passing into the jaw is what stops the bone resorbing the way it does under a denture that simply rests on the gum. What decides between four and six is not preference but what the scan shows.

More support across the span

Particularly toward the back of the arch, where chewing forces are highest.
Fixed in place

The prosthesis attaches to the implants and stays in the mouth.
Bone preserved

As with any implant, load is transmitted into the jaw rather than resting on the gum.

Making the call

Choosing between four and six

This is not a matter of more being better. All-on-4 exists precisely because angled implants can work where bone is limited, and adding two more requires bone to put them in. The decision comes out of the 3D cone beam scan: how much bone there is, where it is, and what the bite is doing.

Where bone is limited

All-on-4 is often the option that avoids a graft.
Where bone is adequate and the bite is heavy

Six spreads the load further.
Where bone has been lost

A graft or sinus lift may change what is possible.

Dental implants for how implants work generally, implant supported dentures for the removable equivalent, and full mouth reconstruction where more than one arch is involved.

A patient standing with Dr. Kourosh Yousefzadeh after treatment

The short answer

All-on-6 is a full-arch implant treatment in which a fixed prosthesis carrying a whole arch of teeth is attached to six dental implants placed in the jaw. The choice between six implants and four is made from a 3D cone beam scan that shows how much bone there is, where it sits, and what the bite is doing. Where the bone supports six, the two extra implants spread chewing load across more points of support, which matters most toward the back of the arch where chewing forces are highest.

All-on-6 FAQ

Is All-on-6 better than All-on-4?: Not automatically — six implants spread the load of a full arch across more anchors, but they need enough bone to be placed in. All-on-4 exists because angled implants can work where bone is limited, and in that situation it is often the option that avoids a graft. Where the bone is adequate and the bite is heavy, six spreads the load further. Which one suits you comes from what the scan shows rather than from a preference.
How do you decide which I need?: The decision comes from the 3D cone beam scan: how much bone there is, where it is, and what your bite is doing. Adding two more implants requires bone to put them in, so the volume and position of the bone set the limits. A heavy bite is the case where the extra support of six earns its place. Where bone has been lost, a graft or sinus lift may change what is possible, and that is assessed from the same scan.
Is the result removable?: No — the prosthesis is fixed to the implants and stays in the mouth. That is the difference from implant supported dentures, which are the removable equivalent. Because the arch is carried by the implants rather than resting on the gum, chewing load passes into the jaw, which is what stops the bone resorbing the way it does under a denture that rests on the gum.
What if I do not have enough bone for six?: Then the options are All-on-4, or a bone graft or sinus lift first to change what is possible. All-on-4 uses angled implants precisely so that it can work where bone is limited, and it is often the option that avoids a graft. All three routes are assessed from the same 3D cone beam scan, so the answer depends on how much bone there is and where it is.