Full mouth dental implants in Turkey: fixed teeth on four or six implants

Full mouth dental implants replace every tooth in both jaws with fixed bridges that sit on implants. At our clinic in Antalya each jaw gets either four or six implants, and the choice is made on your 3D scan. People usually come to us for this because their remaining teeth are failing, or because they have worn dentures for years and are tired of them moving. This page is about the practical side: how the number is chosen, what the price includes, and what you live with afterwards.

Full mouth, one jaw, or something smaller?

Before talking about numbers of implants, it is worth checking that a full mouth is what you need. We prefer to keep healthy teeth. If one jaw still has several strong teeth, saving them and replacing only the gaps can be the better plan, using single implants or an implant bridge.

A full-mouth plan usually makes sense when:

• most teeth in both jaws are loose, broken or decayed beyond repair
• you already wear full dentures and want teeth that do not come out
• advanced gum disease has left the teeth with little support
• repairing each tooth would cost more and last less than starting again

The dentist will look at your X-rays and tell you honestly if a smaller plan would serve you better.

Four or six implants: how the choice is made

A full arch of teeth is one rigid bridge, so the implants underneath share every bite. Four implants per jaw can carry a full bridge when the back implants are tilted to reach good bone further forward, avoiding the nerve in the lower jaw and the sinus in the upper. Six implants spread the load across more supports and leave some margin: if one implant ever fails, the others can often keep the bridge in use while it is replaced.

Our dentists lean towards six when the bone allows it. But six need enough bone along more of the jaw, which people who have worn dentures for many years often no longer have. The 3D scan shows bone height, width and density at every site, and the decision follows from that. You are told in writing how many implants each jaw will have, which brand, and why.

Where bone in the upper jaw is very short, a sinus lift, a bone graft or zygomatic implants may be added. These are only included if the scan shows they are needed, and they are priced in your written plan before treatment.

What the both-jaw price includes

Our full-mouth prices are for upper and lower jaws together. £6,000 is for four implants per jaw and £6,500 for six. Both cover:

• the implants and abutments (MegaGen, Neodent or Straumann)
• the final zirconia teeth on a titanium bar
• fixed temporary teeth for the healing months
• removal of any remaining teeth, free of charge
• X-rays, the 3D scan and medication
• 4 hotel nights on the first trip and 5 on the second
• airport and clinic transfers on both trips

Flights are not included. A sinus lift (£350), bone graft (£150 per 1cc) or zygomatic implant (£2,000 per implant) is extra and only added when needed. If you need one jaw only, we give a written quote. You pay at the clinic against the plan you have approved. See prices for every item.

Two trips and the temporary teeth

1. Scan and final plan. On your first day we examine you and take the 3D scan. The number of implants per jaw is confirmed in writing.
2. Extractions and implants. Failing teeth are removed and the implants placed in the same appointment, under local anaesthetic or sedation. Full-mouth surgery is a long session, so tell us early if you are nervous.
3. Temporary teeth fitted. A lightweight fixed temporary bridge is made and screwed on within a few days, so you fly home with teeth.
4. Healing at home. Usually 3 to 6 months while the implants bond to the bone. You can send photos to your coordinator on WhatsApp if anything worries you.
5. Final bridges. On the second trip we record the exact implant positions with the iCam photogrammetry camera rather than an impression tray, try in the zirconia teeth, adjust the bite and shade, and fit them. You leave with your implant passport and copies of your scans.

The temporary teeth are there so you can smile, speak and eat soft food while you heal. They are lighter and less strong than the final bridge. Fish, pasta, eggs, cooked vegetables and soft bread cut into small pieces are fine. Crusty rolls, nuts, steak and biting into apples are not, until the final teeth are in.

What you live with afterwards

Most people find fixed teeth a big change from dentures: nothing moves, nothing covers the roof of the mouth, and chewing is firm. There are also adjustments. Speech can sound slightly different for a week or two while the tongue gets used to the new shape. Biting feels secure, but implants do not give the fine sense of touch that natural roots do. Your lips and cheeks may sit a little differently.

Cleaning takes a few minutes longer than with natural teeth. Brush twice a day, then use a water flosser and small interdental brushes under the bridge, where food collects. Gum inflammation around implants is the main reason they are lost years later, and in one large review it was found in about one in five patients. Regular check-ups with a dentist or hygienist matter, and the bridge can be unscrewed by a dentist for a deeper clean or a repair.

Risks and limits

• An implant may not bond. With four per jaw, losing one usually means the bridge cannot take full load until a replacement heals.
• Surgery effects. Swelling and bruising are common for several days. Infection and, rarely, numbness of the lip from the lower-jaw nerve can occur.
• The upper jaw is softer. It heals more slowly and is more likely to need extra work such as a sinus lift.
• Bridge repairs. Reviews of full-arch zirconia bridges report chipping and loosened screws among the commoner technical problems.
• Health factors. Smoking, poorly controlled diabetes, heavy grinding and some bone medicines raise the risk. Full-mouth implants may not be right for you until these are addressed.

Guarantee

Implants and abutments carry our lifetime written guarantee, with a failed implant replaced once free of charge. The bridges are guaranteed for 5 years. Conditions are in the written terms, including hygiene, check-ups and a night guard for grinders. Guarantee work is done at our clinic in Antalya. Read the full terms on our guarantee page, and for single missing teeth see Turkish dental implants.