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.
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.
Related
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.
All-on-6 FAQ
- Is All-on-6 better than All-on-4?
- Not automatically. Six spreads the load across more anchors, but it needs the bone to place them in. All-on-4 exists because angled implants work where bone is limited.
- How do you decide which I need?
- From the 3D cone beam scan — how much bone there is, where it is, and what your bite is doing.
- Is the result removable?
- No, the prosthesis is fixed to the implants.
- What if I do not have enough bone for six?
- All-on-4, or a bone graft or sinus lift first. All three are assessed from the same scan.
