All on 6

What is the all on 6 implant prosthesis?

All on 6 implant procedure consists of 6 dental implants that support the entire upper or lower jaw of teeth.

How do the all on 6 and all on 4 differ?

As the name implies the main difference is that the all on 6 has 6 dental implants and the all on 4 has 4 dental implants. We primarily use the all on 6 implant prosthesis on the upper jaw as the bone there is weaker. The weaker bone means that we see more dental implants fail in the upper jaw. Four dental implants will support an upper prosthesis BUT if one fails you may be in a lot of trouble. However, if you have 6 dental implants in the jaw and one fails you will still be fine.

Shelly has an all on 6 dental implant prosthesis with individual zirconia crowns on a titanium framework. The first photo is her initial photo, the middle one is her temporary teeth, and the last one is her final teeth.

Why would you want an all on 6?

Given enough time EVERYTHING fails and or has complications. Dental implants are no different. Therefore it is wise to prepare for possible future issues, such as a loss of a dental implant. When we place 6 dental implants there is a chance you can lose several of them and still be fine. That means not having to pay to have the teeth part that goes on top, over again. Those that suffer from gum disease, have diabetes, or smoke are at higher risk for having dental implant failures. On the lower jaw, failure rates are so low that an extra implant is not really necessary but on the upper jaw an all on 6 should strongly be in consideration.

Can I see some more before and after photos of AO6?

Ours labs have a lot of skill to make teeth look real. On our high resolution dental implant page you can see the photos and really blow them up. To see larger cases you can check out our high resolution page for all on 6 prosthesis as well. We try to push natural looking nice teeth versus the denture tooth look that we see a lot or places provide. To find more general information you can check on our general page.

We love this photo as it really highlights the natural look of our all on 6. You can see the front teeth have ridges that run up and down the teeth. This is what real teeth have and the ridges reflect light at different angles. It helps make the teeth look more natural. Most teeth made by humans are just rounded or flat and do have have this level of detail.

What does the all on 6 cost?

The cost will be the same as the all on 4 cost. The cost will vary depending on what you put on top and how difficult the surgery will be, adding two extra implants changes very little for the surgeon.  Supply costs go up about $1,000 but that is not a major factor in the final cost. Our standard fee for our all on 6 is $30,000, but this is for a titanium teeth with individual ceramic crowns. If you go with acrylic teeth then the cost is $25,000, which is similar to a hybrid denture. The acrylic teeth do have issues though and I will not do them on people that grind or clench their teeth. If you grind or clench your teeth you will break an acrylic all on 6 many times over.

Showing the all on 6 in and out of the mouth.

How can you pay for an AO6?

The majority of the cost will be out of pocket, as even the best dental plans max out around $2,000. We will utilize any dental benefits that you do have. Also, since the procedure is done in two steps that are months apart, we often use two years worth of benefits. Ultimately, however, most of the cost will be your responsibility. With such a large investment in your mouth we do have financing options available. However, most of our patients choose to get the 5% pay in full discount.

We have a secure link that you can go to and choose from multiple terms that meet your comfort level for paying.  Filling out this form does not impact your credit score because Lending Club does a soft pull.  The soft pull is one reason we like Lending Club.  Investopedia has some nice information on their soft pull page.

Will your medical insurance cover any of this?

No.

Will your dental insurance cover this?

Your dental plan will cover up to it’s maximum, which is definitely going to be much lower than the total cost. This is not really something you should be relying on a dental plan to cover.

How do you get your all on six?

The steps to get your all on 6 will be custom to you can depend on what you present with. There is 2 phases; phase one is getting to the temporary teeth and phase 2 is getting your final teeth.

In phase 1 we will evaluate your current situation with an examination and a 3D x-ray.  Next we spend several short visits getting your temporary teeth ready. There is usually 3 visits, 2 weeks apart. This process runs about 2 months after which we are ready for your surgery date. That day is when the transformation happens. We take out whatever teeth are left and place the 6 dental implants and your new temporary teeth. You can see an example of the temporary teeth in the photo at the very top of this page. These teeth are always some sort of plastic and not as nice as the final teeth.

After you heal for 6 months we start the process of making the final teeth. Sometimes this is a very smooth process and we are done after 3 visits, other times lab issues or cosmetic issues pop up and it takes longer. I’ve spent everywhere from less than 2 months to over 6 months on this process, however the norm is 2-3 months.

Zirconia framework all on 6 look very nice and the tissue loves zirconia but the risks are too great for breakage.

What are the problems and maintenance issues with all on 4?

If you choose the plastic or acrylic hybrid denture style teeth instead of porcelain you risk some breaking. According to Dhima most will have teeth break out at some point, a few unlucky people have constant issues. We can avoid this to some extent with a night-guard but clenchers and grinders will do damage to the plastic. If this is going to be an issue for you, it will start happening soon.  Bozini shows it is common even within the first 5 years of use and from personal experience I can attest that it will happen within a year or two for some people.

If you clench and grind your natural teeth you will do the same to your all on 6 teeth. If the teeth are plastic and break out the cost to fix them will be range from a few hundred to maybe a thousand in the worst case. I have yet to see the “worst case” occur but it is possible. To fix this we must take it from you for a day or two but sometimes we can do it in the dental chair.

If you have individual zirconia porcelain teeth, what we prefer, then any dentist anywhere can replace the broken tooth. It will cost whatever a crown in your area costs, which is around $1600 in our office as of 2019. That cost varies by zip code and you can check the cost here for your area.

We no longer do full zirconia framework all on 6 like the case here as we fear zirconia framework fractures as they are no fixable.

Lastly a dental implant can fail but the whole idea of the all on 6 vs the all on 4 is that we are still ok if this happens.

How to clean your all-on-six is the same as our all on 4 maintenance page.

 

The post All on 6 appeared first on Wheaton Orthodontist, Dentist, Pediatric Dentist.