All-on-8 Dental Implants

When eight implants might be discussed

• There are no teeth left in a jaw, or the remaining teeth cannot be saved because of advanced decay, root fractures or advanced gum disease.
• You cannot use, or do not want, a removable full denture.
• There is bone to support implants at the back as well as the front of the jaw, or the bridge design calls for more support.
• Your general health allows surgery and healing.

These are clinical considerations. Research does not establish that eight implants should specifically be chosen in these circumstances. The reason should be explained using your own scan.

When a fixed bridge may not suit you

More implants do not resolve the following limitations. A removable implant-supported denture may be more suitable if:

• There is too little vertical space for the bridge.
• The join between the bridge and gum would show when you smile.
• Your lip needs the support provided by the flange of a removable denture.
• You cannot clean beneath the bridge yourself every day.

Factors associated with risk

The figures below come from published studies, not our own records. They combine observational studies and show associations, without establishing cause. They concern implant patients generally and are not specific to eight implants.

• Smoking. Among people smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day, the risk of implant loss was about 2.5 times as high per implant and about 4 times as high per patient² as among non-smokers. Risk increases with the amount smoked. No safe number of cigarettes has been established.
• A history of gum disease. Across 14 prospective studies, the rate of implant loss during follow-up was about 1.75 times as high³. This compares rates of loss over follow-up; it does not give your personal risk. Peri-implantitis, inflammation around an implant accompanied by loss of supporting bone, was about 3 times as common per patient³. These patients had received treatment for their gum disease; implants are not placed while the disease remains active.
• Clenching and grinding. Across 27 studies, people with probable bruxism had about 2.2 times the odds of implant loss⁴. These studies did not test whether a night guard prevented implant loss.
• Diabetes. Findings differ between reviews. Two found no significant difference in implant loss: a review of nine studies involving people with type 2 diabetes⁵ and an earlier review⁶. A third reported higher odds of implant loss⁷. The type 2 diabetes review made its conclusion conditional on strict oral hygiene. All three found more bone loss around implants in patients with diabetes.
• Medicines that affect bone, including bisphosphonates and denosumab. Risk depends on why the medicine is prescribed, its dose and how long it has been taken. Implants are often unsuitable with the high doses used in cancer treatment; the decision involves the oncology team. Doses used for osteoporosis are assessed separately. A concern is medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, where jawbone tissue dies. A review of 21 studies found about 1.7 times the risk of implant loss per implant⁸ among bisphosphonate users. The risk of jaw osteonecrosis was about 3.5 times as high per patient⁸. There was no significant difference in implant loss per patient. These figures concern bisphosphonates and cannot be applied to denosumab; the certainty of the evidence is very low. Tell your dentist about these medicines. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without speaking to the clinician who prescribed it.
• Radiotherapy to the head and neck. Implant loss is more common in irradiated bone. There is also a risk of a wound that does not heal and of bone death, called osteoradionecrosis. Planning involves the oncology team.

When another step is needed first

• Active infection, untreated gum disease or an uncontrolled general health condition: these are addressed first.
• Too little bone: a bone graft or sinus lift may be considered. If there is very little bone in the upper jaw, zygomatic implants may also be discussed.
• A jaw that is still growing: implants are postponed until growth is complete.

Suitability is assessed through an examination, a three-dimensional scan and your medical history. Advice based on photographs or an X-ray is a preliminary opinion, not a treatment plan.

What does the evidence say?

The figures below come from published studies, not our own records.

• A 2026 review combining 55 studies examined four and six implants. At five years and beyond, about 98 in every 100 All-on-4 implants and 97 to 98 in every 100 All-on-6 implants⁹ remained in place. Findings did not consistently favour one design. The authors described similar outcomes and called for cautious interpretation.
• An umbrella review covering seven reviews found that choosing four rather than six implants did not significantly affect implant or bridge survival¹.
• A 2012 review of nine studies asked about the appropriate number of implants. The fixed full-arch bridges it examined were supported by four to six implants¹⁰. It remained uncertain whether three implants could give similar results and found no data establishing the number of teeth that each implant should support.
• A consensus report from the International Team for Implantology, or ITI, states that the literature supports different implant numbers for fixed full-arch bridges¹¹.

These comparisons largely pool outcomes from different patient groups. They do not prove that one design is superior or equivalent to another.

What do the sources show about eight implants?

The comparisons above concern four and six implants. The sources reviewed for this page do not provide a good comparison of eight implants with four or six. They cannot establish whether eight implants make a bridge last longer, distribute chewing forces better or reduce bone loss. If a proposed plan makes those claims, ask for the supporting evidence.

Practical considerations with more implants

The following points are clinical reasoning, not measured advantages.

• If an implant is lost. With more implants, it may be possible to retain the bridge after losing one. However, the consequences of losing an implant in four- and six-implant designs were not measured⁹; the sources used here do not provide a measurement for eight either.
• More surgical sites. Each implant requires a surgical site. Placing implants at the back requires bone there. If bone is limited, a graft or sinus lift may be needed, extending treatment.
• Bridge design. A bridge on eight implants may be made in one piece or divided into two or three sections. Ask which design is proposed and why.

What determines the number?

• The amount and location of bone
• Whether treatment is in the upper or lower jaw, and the shape of that jaw
• The teeth or restoration in the opposing jaw
• Clenching habits
• The length and design of the bridge

If you are told that eight implants are safer, or that four are enough, ask for the explanation using your own scan.

• Doing nothing for now. Missing teeth affect chewing and eating, and jawbone loss continues. Even so, you can ask for time to consider your options.
• Keeping remaining teeth. If teeth can be saved, gum treatment, root canal treatment, individual implants or a bridge may involve less intervention. Extracting teeth cannot be undone.
• A removable full denture. This does not require surgery and is a reversible option. Retention, speech and chewing may be limited.
• A removable implant-supported denture. In the lower jaw, this often needs fewer implants than a fixed bridge. Retention is substantially greater than with a conventional full denture. You remove it yourself for cleaning.
• A fixed bridge on four or six implants. All-on-4 and All-on-6 are alternatives whose suitability depends on your bone and the bridge design.
• A fixed bridge on eight implants. This attaches to the implants and is removed only by a dentist. It requires surgery, ongoing maintenance and check-ups.

Not every option is possible for every patient. If only one is offered, ask why the others have been ruled out.

Four implants: All-on-4

This may be considered where there is bone to support four implants towards the front of the jaw. There are four surgical sites. Reviews have found no significant difference in implant or bridge survival between four and six implants¹. The effect of losing an implant has not been measured in the comparison cited here⁹; the bridge design would need reassessment. Daily cleaning beneath the bridge and maintenance of screws and porcelain are needed.

Six implants: All-on-6

This may be considered where additional areas have enough bone to support implants, or where the design calls for them. There are six surgical sites. The same evidence limitations apply: no significant survival difference from four implants was found, and the consequences of losing an implant were not measured. Daily cleaning beneath the bridge and maintenance of screws and porcelain are needed.

Eight implants: All-on-8

This may be considered where more sites, including the back of the jaw, have enough bone, or where the design calls for them. There are eight surgical sites. A graft may be needed if bone at the back is limited. The sources reviewed here do not provide a good comparison with four or six implants or a measurement of what happens after an implant is lost. The bridge design would need reassessment. Daily cleaning beneath the bridge and between the implants, along with maintenance of screws and porcelain, is needed.

The stages below describe the usual treatment sequence at our clinic in Antalya, Turkey. Timing varies between patients. Your written plan sets out the appointments and the intervals between them. Before booking travel, ask which stages require you to be in Antalya and how reviews will be arranged after you return home.

Conscious sedation does not put you to sleep: verbal communication with you is maintained throughout treatment¹². If sedation is planned, its location is stated in your written plan.

Risks

The figures below come from published studies, not our own records. Most concern full-arch bridges supported by four or six implants. The sources used here do not provide separate rates for eight implants.

• Implant loss. In four- and six-implant designs, about 2 to 2.5% of implants had been lost at five years and beyond⁹. Smoking, previous gum disease, clenching and some medicines are associated with risk, as described above. Replacing a lost implant and reusing the existing bridge are not always possible. Further surgery, a new bridge or a removable denture may be needed.
• Irreversible steps. Extracting remaining teeth and removing bone cannot be undone. If bone reduction is proposed, ask about its extent, purpose and alternatives before surgery.
• Inflammation around implants. Peri-implant mucositis is inflammation of the soft tissue around an implant. Peri-implantitis includes loss of supporting bone. Treatment may require surgery, and advanced disease can lead to implant loss. Reviews of full-arch bridges reported peri-implantitis rates of 4 to 18%¹. This range is reproduced as reported in the review abstract; it appears to be per patient, but this could not be confirmed from the full text. In implant patients generally, a review of 57 studies found it in about 20% of patients¹³. Rates vary with the definition and follow-up period. Treatment is easier at an early stage, so reviews are part of treatment.
• Bone loss. At five years, reported average bone loss around implants was 1.28 mm for All-on-4 and 0.94 mm for All-on-6⁹. Implants do not eliminate bone loss. No separate figure for eight-implant bridges is given here because the reviews used for this comparison concern four and six implants.
• Technical problems with the bridge. Reviews reported screw loosening in 5 to 15% and framework fracture in fewer than 5%¹. Chipping of the porcelain on veneered zirconia was reported in 15 to 35%¹. These figures are reproduced as reported in review abstracts and cover follow-up periods of 5 to 15 years¹. Without access to the full text, it was not possible to confirm whether each percentage counts patients, bridges or implants. Fewer technical problems were reported with monolithic zirconia, which has no porcelain veneer layer, and with screw-retained designs. These problems can often be repaired. A bridge may need repair or replacement over time.
• Surgical risks. Bleeding, swelling, bruising and infection can occur. In the lower jaw, proximity to the nerve canal can lead to temporary, and rarely permanent, numbness of the lip or chin. In the upper jaw, proximity to the sinus can lead to a torn sinus membrane, sinusitis or an opening between the mouth and sinus. A scan helps reduce these risks but does not remove them. Each implant requires a surgical site.
• Immediate loading. Fitting a temporary fixed bridge within a few days can work in selected patients, but findings differ. A review of 39 randomised trials reported slightly lower implant survival with immediate loading¹⁴. A Cochrane review found no clear difference over follow-up of up to one year¹⁵. These findings are not specific to eight implants. A fixed bridge within a few days cannot be promised to everyone.
• Speech and adjustment. Speech and chewing habits change during the first weeks. The join between the bridge and gum is particularly difficult to clean.

Possible benefits

• A fixed bridge may improve retention and comfort when chewing, and leaves the palate uncovered. Its feel, speech and use are not the same as natural teeth; the result depends on the person and design.
• Implants may help preserve the bone around them, but they do not prevent all bone loss. The reviews used here do not directly compare this effect with a conventional removable full denture.
• A dentist can remove the bridge to gain access for cleaning and repairs.
• The comparisons reviewed on this page do not establish an additional benefit from eight implants over four or six.

The first days

• Swelling and bruising usually increase over the first two or three days, then settle. Use cold packs and take medicines as instructed.
• Choose soft, lukewarm food during the first weeks. While the temporary bridge is in place and integration is incomplete, avoid chewing hard or sticky food.
• Continue cleaning your mouth. Clean the surgical sites as demonstrated.
• If you have had a sinus lift, follow the written instructions provided.
• Smoking impairs healing and is associated with implant loss. Avoid smoking at least throughout the healing period.

If you have sedation

Do not drive or operate machinery for the period specified by the sedation team. Whether an escort is needed depends on the method. A UK national standard on conscious sedation in dentistry requires a responsible adult escort for all adult techniques other than inhalation sedation¹². It also states that sedation should not proceed without an escort where one is required, and that fasting instructions should be given verbally and in writing¹². Rules in other countries may differ, so before travelling ask whether your planned method requires an escort and arrange one if needed.

Flying after surgery

A 2023 non-systematic review suggests waiting at least 72 hours after implant placement before flying¹⁶. After a sinus lift, it suggests at least two weeks, and preferably six weeks¹⁶. The authors note that research is limited and draws mainly on military aviation. These intervals apply only where there is no pain, swelling or bleeding at the treatment site. These are starting points for an individual discussion with the treating dentist, not confirmation that you will be ready to fly. Discuss your return flight before booking and again after surgery.

Daily care

• Clean beneath the bridge and between the implants every day using bridge floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser. Your dentist demonstrates which method works for your bridge.
• Brush twice a day with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste, paying particular attention to the join between the gum and bridge.
• If you clench your teeth, a night guard may be recommended to protect the bridge from clenching forces. It has not been shown to prevent implant loss.
• Reviews. When the bridge is fitted, X-rays and measurements around the implants are taken as baseline records¹⁷. These allow later changes to be compared reliably. Your review interval depends on your risk. Attend even if you have no symptoms.

Before you leave Antalya, ask for written cleaning instructions, your baseline records and a review plan. Agree how follow-up will be shared with your dentist at home.

The figures below come from published studies, not our own records, and are not a guarantee for you. They concern bridges on four to six implants. The sources used here do not provide a separate estimate for eight implants. Your outcome depends on the bone, habits and maintenance.

• Implants. In the review of 55 studies, about 97 to 98% of implants remained in place at five years and beyond⁹. This is measured per implant.
• Bridges. The umbrella review covering seven reviews reported that about 90 to 97% of bridges remained in use over follow-up of 5 to 15 years¹. This range is reproduced as reported in the review abstract; it appears to be counted per bridge, but this could not be confirmed from the full text. In the 2012 review of bridges on four to six implants, about 97 in every 100 upper-jaw bridges remained in use at five years and 95 at ten years¹⁰. For the lower jaw, the corresponding figures were 98 at five years and 96 at ten years¹⁰.
• Maintenance. Remaining in use does not mean remaining free of repairs. Screws may need tightening and porcelain may need repair. A bridge may eventually need replacing. Ask before treatment whether these needs are included in the plan and how they would be managed after you return home.
• Limits of follow-up. The reviews cited here report follow-up of no more than fifteen years¹. They do not support a prediction beyond that period.

Ask for the following in writing and read it before deciding. Discuss the proposed treatment with your dentist at home and ask how ongoing care can be arranged.

• Who will treat you? We provide the name of the dentist placing your implants and the dentist fitting your bridge in writing. Under Turkey's Patient Rights Regulation, you can ask for the identities, roles and titles of the clinicians and other staff treating you¹⁸. You can also seek another dentist's opinion.
• The plan. Your written plan should show the number and positions of the implants and why eight have been proposed. It should explain whether the bridge will be in one piece or sections, and why. It should include any graft or sinus lift, the temporary bridge, the definitive bridge material and the alternatives considered. Inclusions and exclusions should be written down. Ask which appointments require travel, what happens between treatment stages and what could change the schedule.
• Information and consent. Turkey's Patient Rights Regulation sets out what should be explained before treatment, including who will carry it out, where and how, its estimated duration, the alternatives and their benefits and risks, and possible complications¹⁸. Private oral and dental healthcare facilities must obtain a consent form for each intervention¹⁹. The form is signed in two copies and one copy is given to you¹⁸. Ask for your copy.
• Complications and remakes. Before treatment, we provide written information about how complications will be managed and the terms that apply if an implant or bridge needs to be replaced. This includes who pays for further treatment. Ask separately who pays for any additional flights or accommodation and who you can contact after returning home.
• Your records. You can inspect your patient file and obtain a copy¹⁸. At the end of treatment, the plan, X-rays, scan and baseline measurements are provided in a form another dentist can use. Ask for the materials used and the aftercare plan in writing too.

Check the rules of the health service or your insurer in the country where you live about care following treatment abroad.

You can say no or ask to stop at any stage. Once teeth have been extracted or bone has been removed, those steps cannot be undone.

Contact us if any of the following occurs after surgery or while you have the bridge:

• Pain or swelling that increases after the third day, or bleeding that does not stop
• A high temperature or facial swelling that continues to increase
• Numbness of the lip, tongue or chin lasting longer than your dentist advised
• Movement of the bridge, a feeling that a screw is loose, a crack or a broken piece
• Bleeding, an unpleasant smell, pus or receding gum around an implant
• Pain when biting or a feeling that the bite is too high
• A runny or blocked nose, or sinus pain, after upper-jaw treatment

If you cannot reach us promptly, see another dentist where you are. Do not wait for our reply. After returning home, this may mean contacting your dentist at home.

Emergencies. The following symptoms require emergency medical help²⁰:

• Difficulty breathing, speaking or swallowing
• Substantial swelling inside the mouth or difficulty opening your mouth
• A swollen or painful eye, or a sudden change in vision
• Swelling of the neck²¹

Do not wait for a dental appointment. Go to the nearest emergency department or call the local emergency number. In Turkey, call 112.

This page does not show prices. The main factors affecting the plan are:

• The number of teeth to be extracted and any bone reduction
• The number of implants and connecting components
• Whether a graft or sinus lift is needed
• The temporary bridge
• The definitive bridge material and whether it is made in one piece or sections
• Sedation, appointments and the review programme
• The terms for replacement if a complication occurs

Ask for the inclusions in writing. When comparing plans, first check the implant number and bridge design, then compare the included items individually. For treatment abroad, include travel and accommodation for each planned trip and clarify responsibility for additional treatment and travel if a complication occurs.