FULL ARCH

Full-Arch Implants

When most teeth have been lost, this approach restores the whole jaw with a small number of implants. The director personally handles everything from diagnosis to placement.

Dr. Jeong Jinwoo (board-certified prosthodontist · specialist in integrated dentistry) · written and reviewed · last reviewed 2026-09-12

The short answer

Can I have implants if I have almost no teeth left?

In many cases, yes. Even when most teeth are missing, a small number of implants can hold a prosthesis that supports a whole jaw. However, whether it applies and how many implants are placed depend on the amount and density of the jawbone, so we check first with a 3D CT diagnosis.

Full-arch treatment is not about "pulling out every tooth and starting over." If there are teeth that can be saved, partial implants come first; and even with very few teeth left, whether a fixed full-arch bridge or an implant-supported denture suits you depends on your bone condition, general health and ability to keep up with care. Joy Dental Clinic Bongcheon explains this choice first and then decides the number and type.

How do full-arch implants proceed?

Usually 4–8 implants are placed per jaw, and a one-piece prosthesis is fixed on top. Unlike partial implants, extractions, a temporary prosthesis and the design of the whole bite are involved, so there are a few more steps.

Detailed diagnosis. 3D CT shows the amount and density of bone across both jaws and the positions of the lower-jaw nerve canal and upper-jaw maxillary sinus, to judge where and how many implants can be placed. An intraoral scanner (TRIOS 6) records the remaining teeth, gums and lip line so the shape of the final prosthesis can be designed in advance.
Treatment plan and explanation. Whether any remaining teeth can be saved, how far extraction should go, and whether to use the implants for a fixed prosthesis or an implant-supported denture (Korean) are decided by weighing bone condition, general health, ability to keep up with care and your view on cost together. Whether to treat the upper and lower jaws at the same time, the total timeline, the number of visits and how the cost is made up are also explained at this stage.
Extraction and first surgery — implant placement. Under local anesthesia, the necessary teeth are extracted and usually 4–8 implants are placed per jaw. For anesthesia we use a computer-controlled anesthesia device (i-JECT), and if the surgical area is large or you prefer, we arrange sedation or a consultation with an anesthesiologist. Placing the back implants at an angle to avoid the nerve canal and maxillary sinus and to reduce bone grafting is the principle of All-on-4 (Korean)-type designs. The planned positions and angles are reproduced with a surgical guide (Korean).
Connecting a temporary prosthesis. If the implants have enough initial stability, a temporary prosthesis is connected on the day of surgery or within a few days, so there is no period without teeth (immediate loading (Korean)). If stability is insufficient, we do not force it; your existing denture is adjusted and used while you wait. While wearing the temporary prosthesis, you should eat mainly soft foods.
Osseointegration period. Osseointegration (Korean), when the implants bond with the bone, usually takes 3–6 months. Because the gums and bone at the extraction sites change shape as they heal, the temporary prosthesis is adjusted once or twice during this period.
Making and connecting the final prosthesis. The implant positions are recorded precisely with the intraoral scanner, and the final prosthesis is made after checking tooth arrangement, color, lip support and speech in a try-in. The prosthesis material (full zirconia, or zirconia + titanium milled bar) is chosen according to biting force, the opposing teeth and your ability to keep up with care. The key to this step is adjusting the bite so the upper and lower teeth meet evenly.
Regular checkups and maintenance. One to two weeks after connection, and then every 3–6 months, we check screw loosening, wear or fracture of the prosthesis, and the gums and bone, and do a professional cleaning. Learning to clean the gums under the prosthesis (water flosser, super floss) is the key to long-term success (implant maintenance (Korean)).

The director personally handles everything from diagnosis, extraction and placement to the temporary and final prostheses and regular maintenance. The overall period is about 3–6 months while wearing a temporary prosthesis, longer if bone augmentation is needed first. The exact timeline is given individually after the detailed diagnosis.

Fixed full-arch bridge or implant-supported denture: which suits me?

These are the two options actually chosen between for a jaw with almost no teeth. Both use implants, but they differ in the number of implants, whether they are removable, and how they are cared for. For a toothless lower jaw, a denture supported by just two implants clearly improves chewing ability and satisfaction compared with a conventional denture, and an international expert consensus has recommended it as the first choice.[5]

Item	Fixed full-arch	Implant-supported denture
Implants (per jaw)	Usually 4–8	Usually 2–4
Removal	Fixed (not removed by the patient)	Removable (taken out at night for cleaning)
Chewing force · stability	Relatively close to natural teeth	Much better than a conventional denture, but lower than fixed
Bone required	More (if lacking, angled placement or bone procedures)	Possible with relatively less
Surgical burden	Larger, with more implants	Relatively smaller
Cleaning	Requires a technique for cleaning under the prosthesis	Simple, since it is removed for cleaning
Repair · adjustment	In-clinic repair for fractures or loose screws	Denture reline or replacement of attachment parts

* A general comparison; the actual choice is made individually after diagnosis.

How does it differ from partial implants and dentures?

Item	Full-arch implants	Partial implants	Dentures
Suitable for	A jaw with most teeth missing	Only some teeth lost	A jaw with most teeth missing
Number of implants	A few per jaw (usually 4–8)	Matched to the missing teeth	No implants
How it is held	Prosthesis fixed to implants	Prosthesis fixed to implants	Rests on the gums
Care	Brush and floss like natural teeth	Brush and floss like natural teeth	Removed for cleaning

* A general comparison; an accurate diagnosis and costs are given individually at the consultation. — As of September 2026

I was told I have no bone after years of dentures — is it still possible?

After teeth are lost and a denture is worn for many years, the jawbone gradually becomes lower. In particular, the maxillary sinus drops down at the back of the upper jaw and the nerve canal comes closer at the back of the lower jaw, so there may be no room to place an implant in the usual direction. Full-arch design handles this in three ways.

Angled placement — The back implants are placed at a forward angle to avoid the nerve canal and maxillary sinus and to use the bone remaining at the front. It can often be done without bone grafting, which makes it the basic full-arch design.
Bone augmentation — If angled placement is not enough, a bone graft (GBR) (Korean) or sinus lift (Korean) is done first, and the implants are placed after waiting. The timeline is longer accordingly.
Special techniques · denture type — When there is almost no bone in the upper jaw, special techniques such as zygomatic implants (Korean) exist as options in the literature, and if the surgical burden is large, a denture type with fewer implants may be more realistic. Which suits you is explained at the consultation with the evidence.

In the end, the answer comes from measuring where and how much bone remains on 3D CT. Even if you have been told "there is no bone, so it cannot be done," our principle is to show you directly which areas have how much bone left and to find a workable design together.

How is the cost determined?

Because many procedures are combined in one plan, full-arch treatment is hard to reduce to "this much per jaw." The total is made up of the factors below.

Extractions and bone procedures — Depends on how many remaining teeth are extracted and whether the bone needs to be smoothed or augmented after extraction.
Number of implants — The base fee assumes 4 implants in the lower jaw and 6 in the upper jaw; if more are placed because of bone condition, KRW 200,000 is added per implant. More implants are not necessarily better.
Temporary prosthesis — The temporary prosthesis connected right after placement is included in the base fee.
Final prosthesis material — Depends on whether it is made of full zirconia or zirconia + titanium milled bar.
Fixed vs denture type — An implant-supported denture (Korean) uses fewer implants, so its total is relatively lower.

Health insurance. Korean national health insurance coverage of implants for people aged 65 and over applies only to the partially edentulous (at least one natural tooth remaining), so full-arch implants in a jaw with no teeth at all are not covered.[1] Instead, complete dentures are covered for people aged 65 and over once every 7 years for the same area and type, with a 30% co-payment.[2] If some teeth remain, how covered implants (up to two in a lifetime) fit into the plan changes, so we check this at the consultation.

Non-covered costs vary individually with the factors above, so they are explained item by item at the consultation after the detailed diagnosis. Joy Dental Clinic Bongcheon does not quote a total before diagnosis, or give an estimate with the number of implants fixed without a diagnosis.

What you can know before the consultation

The base unit is one jaw, and items are divided by the number of implants and the type of prosthesis (fixed, or implant-supported denture).
Extractions, bone grafts and sinus lifts are charged separately from the base fee; the temporary prosthesis connected right after placement is included in the base fee.
Full-arch implants in a jaw with no teeth at all are not covered by Korean national health insurance. Complete dentures are covered once every 7 years for people aged 65 and over.
Non-covered fees are quoted at the same amount as the fee schedule posted in the clinic, and we do not run discounts or promotional prices.

What is decided after examination

Number and position of implants — decided within a range of 4–8 after looking at the amount of bone and the positions of the nerve canal and sinus on 3D CT.
Fixed prosthesis or implant-supported denture — decided by looking at bone condition and your ability to keep up with care together.
Whether any natural teeth can be saved, and how far extraction goes — confirmed after diagnosis.
When it is finalized — after the detailed diagnosis, the cost of each stage and item is explained at the consultation, and treatment starts after your consent.

Fees for each non-covered item and their reference date are published on our non-covered fee notice. The amounts and item names on that page are the official notice in Korean.Non-covered treatment fees →

When other treatment may suit better

· When the remaining teeth are in good condition and partial implants are enough — we do not extract teeth that can be saved to go full-arch.
· When surgery to place many implants is a burden because of a systemic condition — an implant-supported denture with fewer implants, or a conventional denture, may be safer.
· When the jawbone is so lacking that even angled placement cannot secure enough — we either augment the bone first or consider special techniques or a denture type.
· When it is hard to cut down on smoking or blood sugar is not controlled — surgery placing several implants at once carries greater risk. Meeting these conditions first and then proceeding is ultimately faster.
· When it is hard to keep cleaning under the prosthesis yourself — a removable denture type that can be taken out and washed may last longer.

Nothing hidden

How long do full-arch implants last? Side effects and limitations

Survival rates and the limits of the evidence. A systematic review pooling studies of the All-on-4 approach reported cumulative implant survival of about 98.6% at 1 year and about 99% at 3 years.[3] However, the same review noted that long-term (10+ year) data are still lacking, and a later review concluded that over 3+ years of follow-up, prosthetic problems are reported more often than implant failure.[4] It is more accurate to read this not as "it almost never fails" but as "short-term results are good, and long-term results depend on care."

Mechanical problems with the prosthesis. Because a one-piece prosthesis takes the forces of several implants, fracture or wear of the artificial teeth, loosening screws and breakage of the temporary prosthesis are the most common problems.[4] Most can be repaired or adjusted in the clinic, but if regular checkups are skipped, a small problem can lead to replacing the whole prosthesis.

Peri-implantitis. Peri-implantitis (Korean) is the most common late complication with full-arch implants too. Epidemiological data report peri-implantitis in about 22% of people with implants,[6] and fixed prostheses are hard to clean underneath, so care matters even more. We check gum condition and changes in bone height at checkups.

If one fails. In a design supported by four implants, if one fails the others may struggle to share the load, and the whole prosthesis plan may need to be redone. That is why, when bone conditions allow, 5–6 implants are sometimes placed for a margin; the number is explained with the reasons at the consultation.

Adjustment period. Your speech may change, you may produce more saliva, and the thickness of the prosthesis may feel unfamiliar. Most people adjust within a few weeks, but if lip support or speech remains uncomfortable, it is adjusted in the final prosthesis design.

Nerve · sinus. In the lower jaw the distance to the inferior alveolar nerve canal (Korean), and in the upper jaw the distance to the maxillary sinus, is the key. Angled placement is designed to avoid them, and 3D CT and a surgical guide prevent most problems, but altered sensation or sinus problems can rarely occur; we explain this possibility before surgery.

No treatment is free of side effects. Full-arch treatment changes a lot at once, so there is a lot to gain, but knowing the above before you start is what makes it last.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Q1 Can I have temporary teeth on the day of surgery?

It depends on bone condition and initial stability. If conditions allow, a temporary prosthesis is connected on the day of surgery or within a few days; otherwise it is connected after a certain period. We explain after the detailed diagnosis.

Q2 Is general anesthesia needed?

Most cases are done under local anesthesia. If the placement area is large or the patient prefers, sedation or a consultation with an anesthesiologist can be arranged; this is decided at the consultation.

Q3 How long until the final prosthesis?

A temporary prosthesis is used around the time of surgery, and an osseointegration period of usually 3–6 months is needed before the final prosthesis. It varies with bone condition and healing, so we give specifics after diagnosis.

Q4 Is it the same concept as All-on-4 or All-on-X?

Yes, it belongs to the same family of approaches in that a small number of implants support a prosthesis for a whole jaw. The number and angle of the implants are planned to suit the bone.

Q5 Can the upper and lower jaws be done at the same time?

Sometimes it is possible, but the surgical area and recovery burden become larger, so whether to proceed in sequence is decided at the consultation, considering general health and bone conditions together.

Q6 I stopped treatment partway at another clinic. Can you continue it?

Yes. We check the state of the previous treatment carefully and then continue. We assess your current condition with a detailed diagnosis and draw up a new plan for the remaining treatment.

Q7 Is it possible even if I have lost a lot of bone from wearing dentures for years?

Wearing dentures for a long time gradually lowers the jawbone, but in many cases it is possible with a design that places the back implants at an angle to use the remaining bone. If that is still not enough, we augment the bone first or consider an implant-supported denture. We judge after checking on 3D CT.

Q8 Does health insurance cover it?

Korean national health insurance coverage of implants for people aged 65 and over applies only to the partially edentulous (some natural teeth remaining), so full-arch implants in a jaw with no teeth are not covered. Instead, complete dentures are covered once every 7 years for people aged 65 and over, with a 30% co-payment. If some teeth remain, we check how coverage can apply at the consultation.

Q9 Which suits me, fixed or an implant denture?

A fixed prosthesis is ahead in chewing force and stability, while an implant-supported denture has the advantage in surgical burden, cleaning and cost. For the lower jaw, there is a consensus that a denture on just two implants raises satisfaction considerably compared with a conventional denture, so depending on the situation that may come first. We decide together by looking at bone condition and your ability to keep up with care.

Q10 When can I eat after surgery?

From the day of surgery you can eat lukewarm, soft foods. During the osseointegration period with the temporary prosthesis, avoid hard or chewy foods so the implants are not overloaded. After the final prosthesis is connected, most foods are possible, but very hard foods carry a risk of fracturing the prosthesis, so take care.

Q11 How do I clean under the prosthesis?

Food easily gets caught in the gap between the gums and a fixed prosthesis, so clean underneath daily with a water flosser (oral irrigator) and super floss. We show you how after connection, and do professional cleaning at regular checkups.

Treatment cases and further reading

References

National Health Insurance Service (Korea). Dental implant coverage guide (in Korean) — Partially edentulous patients aged 65+ (fully edentulous excluded), up to two implants per person in a lifetime, 30% co-payment.
National Health Insurance Service (Korea). Denture coverage guide for older adults (in Korean) — Aged 65+, once every 7 years for the same area and type, 30% co-payment.
Patzelt SB, Bahat O, Reynolds MA, Strub JR. The all-on-four treatment concept: a systematic review. Clin Implant Dent Relat Res. 2014;16(6):836-855. — Cumulative implant survival 98.6% at 12 months, 99.0% at 36 months; lack of long-term data noted as a limitation.
Soto-Peñaloza D, Zaragozí-Alonso R, Peñarrocha-Diago M, Peñarrocha-Diago M. The all-on-four treatment concept: Systematic review. J Clin Exp Dent. 2017;9(3):e474-e488. — Indications, surgical/prosthetic protocols and mechanical/biological complications after 3+ years in function.
Feine JS, et al. The McGill consensus statement on overdentures. Mandibular two-implant overdentures as first choice standard of care for edentulous patients. Int J Prosthodont. 2002;17(4):601-602. — Expert consensus that the first choice for an edentulous lower jaw is a two-implant overdenture rather than a conventional denture.
Derks J, Tomasi C. Peri-implant health and disease. A systematic review of current epidemiology. J Clin Periodontol. 2015;42(Suppl 16):S158-S171. — Peri-implant mucositis 43%, peri-implantitis 22% (weighted mean prevalence).

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This page was written and reviewed by Director Jeong Jinwoo (board-certified prosthodontist and specialist in integrated dentistry) of Joy Dental Clinic Bongcheon, based on standard dental knowledge and the literature above. The director personally handles everything from diagnosis, extraction and placement to connecting the prosthesis and regular maintenance. It is intended as general information; individual treatment plans and costs are given after a detailed diagnosis and consultation.

Last updated: 2026-09-23