All on X: fixed teeth on implants

What All on X means

All on X is the name for a fixed full-arch restoration anchored on a small number of implants — usually four to six, depending on the state of the bone and the treatment plan. The "X" in the name is therefore not fixed; it changes from case to case.

Unlike a conventional full removable denture, which you take out of your mouth yourself, this framework is fixed firmly to the implants.

Who it is an option for

We consider this solution mainly where most or all of the teeth in one jaw are missing — after long wear of an unsatisfactory denture, after several extractions at once, or with markedly advancing periodontal disease.

Common reasons for considering this solution:

• a removable denture that will not stay put or rubs
• almost complete loss of the teeth in one jaw
• wanting something fixed rather than a removable denture

How planning and the procedure work

Before the procedure we send you for imaging that shows the amount and quality of bone in both jaws. If there is not enough bone, particularly in the upper jaw at the back teeth, we build it up with augmentation or raise the floor of the sinus — sinus lifting costs 900 € with us — either at the same time as the implants are placed or as a separate step beforehand.

We place the implants themselves under local anaesthetic. Once they have healed, the fixed restoration is added — a fixed denture on implants costs 350 € with us, and the implants themselves 350 € each in the MegaGen system and 650 € in the Straumann system.

How soon you can have new teeth

Where conditions allow, we can complete All on X within 14 days of the first visit, and in some cases sooner.

It is not, however, a deadline we can promise everyone — not every patient is suitable for such an approach. It depends on the state of the teeth and the jawbone, on whether teeth have to be extracted or bone added first, and on the free capacity of the surgery and the dental laboratory.

You will therefore get an exact schedule only after the examination, when it is clear what your case requires. Whether a shorter timescale is realistic we will tell you at the consultation.

What the healing period involves

Between placing the implants and fitting the final fixed restoration there is a healing period during which the implants bond with the bone. If the plan also includes a larger bone augmentation — a large augmentation during a longer procedure costs 480 € with us — healing can take longer than in a simpler case.

The exact timetable and the order of the steps is always individual and is set by the examination, not by a general rule.

The extent of the procedure, the number of implants needed and whether bone augmentation is necessary can only be shown by a consultation in person with an X-ray or 3D scan.

How to care for a fixed restoration

A fixed restoration on implants does not come out, but the space beneath it and around each implant has to be cleaned as thoroughly as natural teeth — neglected hygiene around an implant leads to the same gum inflammation as around a natural tooth, only with different consequences for the stability of the whole structure.

So this solution also comes with regular check-ups and professional cleaning designed for that particular structure — not a one-off procedure after which treatment ends.