MAXILLA FULL ARCH
The sinus at the back-tooth sites, the nasal floor at the front-tooth sites, and the options when there is no site for the front teeth. In the upper jaw, these three decide where to place.
Maxilla
Full-arch implants (full-mouth implants) are treatment that restores the teeth and bite of an entire jaw. In the upper jaw, the back-tooth sites can almost always be placed in combination with a sinus lift, so the bone height at the front-tooth sites up to the nasal floor decides the design. Yeonhap Dental Clinic's basic design is a three-piece fixed prosthesis with at least 7 implants, 2 at each side's back-tooth sites and 3 at the front-tooth sites, supporting 12 artificial teeth, and if no front-tooth sites are available, we consider All-on-6, which places a total of 6 in the back teeth on both sides.
CT Planning
At the first consultation, we measure the remaining bone height up to the maxillary sinus and nasal floor at each upper jaw site on a 3D CBCT and decide the design.
Three Things
The back-tooth sites, the front-tooth sites, and the options when there is no site for the front teeth.
At the upper back-tooth sites, even when the bone up to the maxillary sinus is shallow, an implant can be placed in most cases in combination with a sinus lift. Yeonhap Dental Clinic does not use short implants in the upper jaw, and decides the surgical method and timing of placement by looking at the condition of the sinus membrane and initial stability.
Yeonhap Dental Clinic does not perform surgery to raise the nasal floor (the bone of the floor of the nose) of the upper front teeth. If the height is insufficient to place an implant of 8.5 mm in length or more, we leave that site empty, and we do not use short implants in the upper jaw.
If the front teeth have sites for implants, we first consider a three-piece fixed prosthesis with at least 7 implants. If no front-tooth sites are available, we consider All-on-6, which places a total of 6 implants in the back teeth on both sides and mounts the 12 artificial teeth as one piece, and we also look at cost, care, and the patient's wishes.
Provisional and Time
The period is counted from the day of placement. The lower jaw has different criteria and a different period, so it is explained separately.
Once 6 implants of 4 mm or more in diameter, 8.5 mm or more in length, and 30 Ncm or more in initial stability are secured and the connection design fits, a fixed temporary tooth is attached within the same day to 1 week. An upper jaw where a sinus lift was also done does not get one right away and is managed with a temporary denture.
We expect about 4–8 months from placement to the final prosthesis, and the wait after extraction is separate. If the sinus lift is done first, we explain the total period from the first surgery separately. The lower jaw has different criteria and a different period, so see the lower jaw guide.
Before Visit
Bring them if you have them. Even if not, we calculate from the first-day CBCT.
Basic design: A three-piece fixed prosthesis uses 2 implants at each side's back-tooth sites and 3 at the front-tooth sites, at least 7 in all, for 12 artificial teeth. All-on-6 places a total of 6 in the back teeth on both sides and supports the 12 artificial teeth as one piece; the 7th tooth position is not made. Judging the site: At the back-tooth sites, we place almost always in combination with a sinus lift, even when the bone up to the maxillary sinus is shallow. At the front-tooth sites, we do not raise the nasal floor, so if there is not enough height to place an 8.5 mm length, we leave it empty, and we do not plan short implants in the upper jaw. Choice: Even if the front teeth have sites for implants, you can choose All-on-6 if you wish. A comparison of the two methods is in the full-arch implants (All-on-X) guide. Temporary teeth and period: With 6 implants that meet the conditions, a temporary tooth goes on the same day to 1 week later, and an upper jaw where a sinus lift was also done is managed with a temporary denture. It is about 4–8 months from placement to the final prosthesis, and estimates by starting point are in the timeline guide.
The number and positions of implants, the criteria for the front-tooth sites, and the specifications for temporary teeth are Yeonhap Dental Clinic's standards. At the upper back-tooth sites, height can be secured with a sinus lift, but we do not raise the nasal floor at the front-tooth sites because it can be felt and uncomfortable when touching the nose. This is our clinical judgment, not a value verified in the literature, and not using short implants in the upper jaw is also our standard. We referred to Pjetursson 2008 for the outcomes of the lateral approach sinus lift and to Gallucci 2014 for the immediate loading conditions. For this reason, in an upper full-arch consultation, Yeonhap Dental Clinic uses the first-consultation CBCT to measure both the remaining bone height up to the nasal floor at the front-tooth sites and the sinus height at the back-tooth sites, and if 7 are possible, we recommend the three-piece fixed prosthesis first. References: Pjetursson 2008, systematic review of implant survival with the lateral approach sinus lift · Gallucci 2014, consensus statement on implant loading protocols The placement sites in the lower jaw and the plan for treating both jaws together are in the guides under the related links below. Treatment results may vary by individual oral condition. The applicable methods and course differ from person to person depending on the remaining bone and systemic condition.
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