All-on-4 vs All-on-6 Implants in Houston
·
At Omega Dental Specialists in Midtown Houston, All-on-4 and All-on-6 are priced the same per arch, so the choice is not about money. It is about how much bone you have, where it sits, and how hard you bite. Here is how our surgeons decide, and what each option means for you.
Seen in Midtown Houston, Saturday hours: Book an appointment · (713) 322-7474 · Dental Implants in Houston
The Short Answer
All-on-4 places four implants per arch and tilts the two back ones forward at an angle so they catch dense bone at the front of the jaw. All-on-6 places six, spread further back, and needs more bone to do it.
Lower jaws take four well, because the bone at the front of the mandible is the densest in the mouth. Upper jaws are softer, the sinus sits in the way of the back segments, and a longer bridge flexes more, so uppers are where six implants earn their keep.
Neither number is better in the abstract. A CBCT scan of your jaw settles it in about ten minutes, and that scan is free at the consultation.
What These Procedures Actually Are
An implant is a titanium post placed into the jawbone. Bone grows onto titanium and locks it in place, a process called osseointegration, which takes three to six months.
For a full arch you do not need one implant per tooth. A fixed bridge carrying 12 to 14 teeth is anchored on four or six posts and screwed down. It does not come out at night. You do not use adhesive. You brush it, floss under it with a threader or a water flosser, and it stays put.
The procedure replaces every tooth in the arch, so any remaining teeth in that jaw come out on the day of surgery. That is a hard sentence to read if you still have some. It is also why we will not recommend a full arch to someone whose own teeth can be saved.
When Four Implants Is the Right Plan
All-on-4 suits you when:
• The arch is the lower jaw. Dense bone at the front means four angled posts hold a full bridge very reliably.
• You have already lost bone height at the back. The tilted implant design was invented specifically to avoid grafting the posterior jaw, which is why All-on-4 often means no bone graft and no extra six months of healing.
• You want fewer surgical sites. Four is less surgery, less swelling, and generally an easier first week than six.
• You have a medical reason to keep the operation short. Fewer implants means less time in the chair, which matters for patients with cardiac or other conditions.
Four implants supporting a full arch is not a compromise. It has more than two decades of clinical data behind it.
When Six Implants Is the Better Plan
All-on-6 makes more sense when:
• The arch is the upper jaw and there is enough bone to place six. Upper bone is softer, and spreading the load over six posts reduces flex across a long span.
• You are a heavy grinder, or you have a strong bite and natural teeth still opposing the bridge below. Two extra anchors take that load better.
• The bridge needs to extend further back to give you real molar chewing rather than stopping at the premolars.
• One implant later fails. With six, the bridge can often be restored on the remaining five while the site heals. With four, losing one is a bigger problem.
That last point is the one patients weigh most once they hear it.
What Full Arch Implants Cost in Houston
Full arch treatment is priced per arch, and at our Midtown office four implants and six cost the same, so the clinical decision never has to fight the financial one. Treating both arches doubles the figure, which is worth remembering when you compare quotes.
The fee covers the surgical placement, the temporary fixed bridge you leave with the same day, and the final bridge after healing. Extractions of any remaining teeth in that arch are part of the surgery.
Two things can add to a plan: a bone graft where one is needed, and IV sedation for the appointment. Both are quoted in writing before anything begins.
If you are replacing a full arch but do not want a fixed bridge, an implant supported denture that snaps onto implants and comes out for cleaning costs a fraction of a fixed arch. It is a genuinely different product, and for some patients it is the right one.
The average cost of full arch implants in Houston varies widely between offices, mostly because quotes differ in what they include; ours is all-inclusive and handed to you in writing. For today's exact fee, call (713) 322-7474 or visit the All-on-4 page.
Coverage for full arch work depends entirely on your policy. We verify your benefits with your insurer before treatment and give you your share in writing. Cherry, Affirm and Sunbit spread the balance into monthly payments, and our team will show you the numbers before you commit to anything.
Surgery Day and the Six Months After
The surgery itself runs two to four hours per arch under IV sedation. You will not remember it. Remaining teeth come out, the implants go in, and a fixed temporary bridge is attached the same day, which is why this is sometimes called teeth in a day.
You leave with teeth. You do not leave with your final teeth.
The first week means swelling, bruising and a soft diet. Most patients take prescription pain medication for two or three days and then switch to ibuprofen. Plan on a week off if your job is physical.
Soft food for the full healing period is not a suggestion. Chewing hard food on a temporary bridge is one of the few things that will genuinely cause an implant to fail before it integrates.
At three to six months, once the CBCT confirms integration, the final bridge is made and fitted. That is when you get back to eating normally.
Who Does This at Omega Dental Specialists
Full arch cases here are done by our oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Dr. Jonathan Rosenstein is board certified, a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. Mohsen Khobyari has placed more than 10,000 implants over 20 years. Dr. Edmund Watkins and Dr. Evan Melamed round out the surgical team.
Everything happens at 106 W Gray St in Midtown, minutes from Downtown, Montrose, River Oaks and the Texas Medical Center. Nothing gets sent to another office, which matters on a case that runs six months.
The consultation is free and includes a 3D CBCT scan. You will leave that appointment knowing whether four or six is right for your jaw, what it costs, and what the timeline looks like. Saturday appointments are available.
Call (713) 322-7474 or book online.
Frequently asked
Is All-on-6 better than All-on-4?
Neither is better in general. All-on-6 spreads the load across more implants and is often preferred in the upper jaw, where the bone is softer and the bridge spans further. All-on-4 uses tilted implants to anchor in dense bone at the front, which frequently avoids bone grafting and means less surgery. A CBCT scan of your jaw decides it. Both are priced the same per arch at Omega Dental Specialists in Houston.
How much do All-on-4 implants cost in Houston?
The average cost of All-on-4 in Houston depends mostly on what a quote includes, which is why headline figures are hard to compare. At Omega Dental Specialists the per-arch fee covers the surgical placement, the extraction of any remaining teeth in that arch, the fixed temporary bridge you leave with the same day, and the final bridge after healing, and All-on-6 costs the same. Bone grafting and IV sedation are quoted separately where a case needs them. For today's exact fee, call (713) 322-7474.
Do I need a bone graft for All-on-4?
Often not, and that is the point of the design. Tilting the two back implants forward lets them anchor in dense bone at the front of the jaw rather than the thinner bone at the back, which is exactly where grafting is usually needed. Some patients still need a graft, which is quoted in writing before anything begins. Your CBCT scan at the free consultation answers it before you commit to anything.
Can All-on-4 be done in one day?
The surgery and a fixed temporary bridge are completed in one appointment, usually two to four hours per arch under IV sedation, so you go home with teeth the same day. The final bridge comes later, once the implants have fused to the bone, which takes three to six months. Anyone promising the permanent bridge on day one is describing the temporary.
How long do All-on-4 implants last?
The titanium implants are designed to be permanent and large studies show most still in function well past ten years. The bridge on top is a wearing part: the teeth can chip and the material eventually shows its age, so plan on replacing the bridge at some point while the implants stay. Smoking and skipped maintenance visits are what shorten both.
What is the difference between All-on-4 and implant supported dentures?
An All-on-4 bridge is screwed down and stays in your mouth permanently, so you clean around it like natural teeth. An implant supported denture snaps onto implants and comes out for cleaning at night. The fixed bridge feels closer to real teeth; the snap-in version costs less and is easier to clean. We will walk you through both at the consultation.
Am I too old for full arch dental implants?
Age by itself is not a disqualifier and we place implants in patients well into their eighties. What matters is bone volume, healing capacity, and whether any medical conditions or medications, particularly certain bone medications, affect healing. Bring your full medication list to the consultation and the CBCT scan will show us the rest.