All-on-X vs. Full-Mouth Implants in Suwon: What Is the Difference? (2026)

When you ask about a fixed solution for a jaw with no teeth, you will hear a mix of names such as All-on-X, All-on-4, and full-arch implants.

[Key Answer]

Both are fixed methods for treating a completely edentulous jaw (a jaw with no teeth) in which the prosthesis is not removed by the patient. To restore 12 teeth, Yeonhap Dental Clinic places a one-piece prosthesis on 4 implants in the lower jaw and 6 in the upper jaw for full-arch implants (All-on-X), and a three-piece prosthesis on at least 6 implants in the lower jaw and at least 7 in the upper jaw for full-mouth implants (three-piece fixed). If the bone allows, we consider the three-piece fixed type first, and the choice depends on where implants can be placed, cost, maintenance, and the patient's preference.

[Summary in 4 Lines]

· At our clinic, we describe All-on-X as a one-piece fixed prosthesis and full-mouth implants as a three-piece fixed prosthesis; the implant counts reflect our clinic's own design standards.

· In the lower jaw, we consider All-on-4 if the remaining bone above the nerve canal in the molar area is less than 5 mm; in the upper jaw, we consider All-on-6 if placement in the front tooth area is difficult.

· Even when the goal is to reduce cost, we consider All-on-X rather than the three-piece fixed type, in both the lower and upper jaw.

· If conditions allow, fixed temporary teeth can be placed on the same day to within 1 week with either method, and implants for a completely edentulous jaw are not currently covered by National Health Insurance.

Written by Dr. Ahn Seong-jin, Chief Director, Yeonhap Dental Clinic

[Table of Contents]

· How does a one-piece fixed prosthesis differ from a three-piece fixed prosthesis?

· When does our clinic choose All-on-X instead of the three-piece fixed type?

· Can temporary teeth be placed on the same day with All-on-X and the three-piece fixed type?

· What are the treatment period, maintenance, and National Health Insurance coverage for each?

Whether the prosthesis is one piece or three pieces changes the number of implants placed and the scope of any repair.

The All-on-4 concept, in which four implants support a fixed prosthesis for one jaw, is also described in the literature (Soto-Peñaloza 2017). Our clinic designs All-on-X as All-on-4 with 4 implants in the lower jaw and All-on-6 with 6 implants in the upper jaw. In this article, "full-mouth implants" refers to our clinic's three-piece fixed prosthesis.

With a one-piece prosthesis, repairing one spot may require removing the entire prosthesis, depending on the scope of the repair, whereas with the three-piece fixed type only the affected piece can be repaired or replaced. The three-piece fixed type is basically 12 teeth, up to tooth no. 6 (first molar); if that proves insufficient after use, we check the placement conditions and add one tooth no. 7 (second molar) on each side. In our clinic's experience, about 1 in 10 patients adds them. A comparison that also includes complete dentures and implant-supported dentures is in 5 Treatment Options for the Completely Edentulous Jaw.

We consider All-on-X when the remaining bone height above the nerve canal in the lower molar area is less than 5 mm, when placement in the upper front tooth area is difficult, and when the goal is to reduce cost in either jaw.

Using 3D CT, we check at each site whether 2 mm of bone remains on the cheek side of the implant and 1.5 mm on the tongue or palate side (our clinic's standard), as well as the nerve position. If the remaining bone height above the mandibular canal (the canal through which the lower jaw nerve runs) in a lower molar area is less than 5 mm, we do not plan a short implant there (criteria for short implants); instead, we place implants at positions 32, 34, 42, and 44 and build 12 teeth from 36 to 46 as a one-piece fixed prosthesis.

Beyond the last implant, two molars on each side are attached as an extension (cantilever), so we check its length and the bite together. Our clinic's All-on-4 does not include tooth no. 7. Even when the bone allows the three-piece fixed type, some patients choose All-on-4 depending on the approach they prefer; even when four sites are available, some choose an implant-supported denture depending on cost and maintenance, and if insurance conditions are met we also compare insurance options. The implant-supported denture design is in the implant-assisted removable partial denture (IARPD) column.

When four implants in the lower jaw or six in the upper jaw are secured, each at least 4 mm in diameter, at least 8.5 mm in length, and with an initial stability of at least 30 Ncm, we connect them and place fixed temporary teeth on the same day or within 1 week.

Beyond the number of implants, each implant's initial stability and the temporary tooth design must all fit together, and the consensus statement on full-arch immediate loading (placing temporary teeth right after implant placement) also assumes sufficient primary stability (Gallucci 2014). About 90% of our clinic's lower full-arch cases met this condition.

The same applies to the upper jaw when the conditions are met, but because a sinus lift (a procedure that adds bone toward the maxillary sinus, the empty space above the upper molars) is often needed, immediate loading of a full upper arch is rare at our clinic, and we do not place immediate fixed temporary teeth on an upper jaw that has had a sinus lift at the same time. When the conditions are not met, the patient waits with a temporary denture, which is either a repaired or adjusted version of the existing denture or a newly made one if needed. At our clinic, immediate loading is aimed at reducing discomfort during the waiting period rather than speeding up the final prosthesis.

By our clinic's standard, we expect about 4 months from placement to the final prosthesis in the lower jaw and about 4 to 8 months in the upper jaw.

In the upper jaw, the timeline depends on whether immediate loading is possible, the remaining bone, the state of stability and healing, and the timing of implant placement relative to a sinus lift; if a sinus lift is done first, we give you the total timeline from the first surgery separately. If implants are placed after waiting following an extraction, that waiting time is added separately. The schedule by site and situation is in Suwon Implant Treatment Period.

With both methods, cleaning under the prosthesis and not smoking are important, and our clinic checks every 6 months for loose screws, changes in the bite, and peri-implantitis. I adjust the bite of the final prosthesis myself.

Implants for a completely edentulous jaw are not currently covered by National Health Insurance; only complete dentures are covered, once every 7 years for patients aged 65 and over. An expansion of coverage to 2 implants for completely edentulous patients from January 2027 has been announced, but it does not mean that all of All-on-X or the three-piece fixed treatment is covered; those who have already received an NHI-covered complete denture must wait until 7 years have passed, and the detailed criteria must be confirmed in the follow-up notice.

· Whether the remaining bone height above the nerve canal in the molar area is explained with CT measurements

· Whether the repair scope and cost of one-piece and three-piece prostheses were compared together

· Whether you were told the temporary tooth conditions and how to clean and get check-ups after completion

[Key Takeaways]

✓ All-on-X is a one-piece fixed prosthesis; our clinic's full-mouth implants are a three-piece fixed prosthesis in which only the affected piece can be repaired or replaced.

✓ If the bone above the nerve canal in the lower molar area is less than 5 mm, we consider All-on-4; if placement in the upper front tooth area is difficult, we consider All-on-6; and when the goal is to reduce cost, we consider All-on-X for both jaws.

✓ If conditions allow, fixed temporary teeth are placed on the same day to within 1 week, and we expect about 4 months for the lower jaw and about 4 to 8 months for the upper jaw.

Many patients begin a consultation by asking whether they will get 4 or 6 implants. Before that, I look at the bone above the nerve canal in the molar area and the four front sites on CT. If the bone allows, I first describe the three-piece fixed type, in which only one piece can be fixed later; if the molar area is not suitable or you want to reduce cost, we also look at All-on-4. Our clinic's All-on-4 does not include tooth no. 7, but few patients who have used it have said that chewing felt insufficient. That is why I do not fix the number first, and instead look at the bone and the repair approach together.

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.

Gallucci GO, Benic GI, Eckert SE, et al. Consensus statements and clinical recommendations for implant loading protocols. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants. 2014;29 Suppl:287-290.

Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA). Implant coverage criteria (Cha-11 dental implant recognition criteria, Notice No. 2025-23, effective Feb. 1, 2025).

Ministry of Health and Welfare. Results of the 15th Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee meeting (Sept. 8, 2026).

This post was written in accordance with the Korean Medical Service Act and the Ministry of Health and Welfare's medical advertising guidelines, and is intended to provide medical information. It does not guarantee or assert any treatment result or cost. The applicable methods and course of treatment differ from person to person depending on remaining bone and overall health, so please decide on a diagnosis and treatment direction only after a thorough consultation with your dental team.

🦷 Full-arch implant information: Suwon Full-Arch Implants (All-on-X)

📍 230 Geumho-ro, 5th Floor (Cham Clinic Building, Tap-dong), Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do

🚕 Across from Suwon NongHyup Guun Branch (231 Geumho-ro) / about 15 minutes by taxi from Suwon Station

🚗 Free parking available in the building

📞 031-293-2207

🌐 yeonhapdental.com

🟡 Open since 2002 / Treatment overseen by Dr. Ahn Seong-jin, Chief Director and Integrated Dentistry specialist

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