What is All-on-4®?

All-on-4® is a full-arch dental implant treatment used to replace all missing or failing teeth in the upper or lower jaw. Rather than replacing each tooth individually, a complete bridge of teeth is supported by four strategically placed dental implants.

The technique was developed by Nobel Biocare and involves placing two implants towards the front of the jaw and two implants towards the back at an angle. This approach can often maximise the use of available bone and may reduce or eliminate the need for bone grafting in suitable patients.

All-on-4® has become one of the most widely used full-mouth dental implant solutions worldwide and has demonstrated high long-term success rates of up to 98% in clinical studies*.

The term All-on-4® is a registered trademark of Nobel Biocare and specifically refers to the treatment concept when used with Nobel Biocare implants.

Today, many clinicians use similar treatment protocols with four, five, six or more implants depending on the patient's anatomy, bone quality and treatment goals. As a result, you may also hear terms such as All-on-X, which refers more broadly to full-arch dental implant treatment supported by a customised number of implants.

For patients requiring full-mouth rehabilitation, the number of implants used is less important than selecting the treatment approach best suited to their individual needs.

Read our blog on What is All-on-4® and what are the alternatives?

*Malo P, de Araújo Nobre M, Lopes A, Moss SM, Molina GJ. A longitudinal study of the survival of All-on-4® implants in the mandible with up to 10 years of follow-up. J Am Dent Assoc 2011;142:310-204.