5 Treatment Options for a Completely Edentulous Jaw (Suwon Dentist, 2026)

When you consult after losing all your teeth, you hear different answers at each clinic, such as dentures, four implants, or six.

[Key Answer]

There are several ways to restore a jaw with no teeth, from removable dentures to fixed implants. Yeonhap Dental Clinic compares five: complete denture, implant-supported denture, All-on-4, All-on-6, and three-piece fixed; the remaining bone sets the range of what is possible, and cost, insurance, and maintenance decide the choice within it.

[Summary in 4 Lines]

· The methods Yeonhap Dental Clinic compares are five, from a complete denture with 0 implants to the three-piece fixed type, and the implant counts reflect our clinic's own design standards.

· Whether each site yields 2 mm of bone on the cheek side and 1.5 mm on the tongue or palate side determines which methods are possible.

· Even when four sites are available in the lower jaw, we compare All-on-4 and an implant-supported denture together according to cost, insurance, and maintenance conditions.

· Implants for a completely edentulous jaw are not currently covered by National Health Insurance, and an expansion to cover 2 implants is scheduled from January 2027.

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

[Table of Contents]

· How do the five treatment options for a completely edentulous jaw differ?

· How do the options for a completely edentulous jaw divide according to the remaining bone?

· When can temporary teeth be placed in a completely edentulous jaw?

· How much do treatment periods differ among the options for a completely edentulous jaw?

· In what order does Yeonhap Dental Clinic decide the method for a completely edentulous jaw?

The five differ in the number of implants placed and in whether the prosthesis is removable or fixed in the mouth.

A complete denture and an implant-supported denture (IARPD) are removed and reinserted, while full-arch implants (All-on-X) and full-mouth implants (three-piece fixed) are fixed types that the patient does not remove. The full-arch type is considered as All-on-4 with 4 implants in the lower jaw and All-on-6 with 6 in the upper jaw, and even a fixed type must be cleaned daily with a toothbrush and interdental brushes and checked at regular check-ups. The implant-supported denture design is in the implant-assisted removable partial denture (IARPD) column.

If the bone allows, Yeonhap Dental Clinic first considers the three-piece fixed type, in which only the affected piece can be repaired or replaced. The standard is 12 teeth up to tooth no. 6; if that proves insufficient after use, we check the placement conditions and add one implant at tooth no. 7 on each side. In our clinic's experience, about 1 in 10 patients adds them. It can also be planned as 14 teeth from the start, and in this design the total number of implants is the same even if added later (8 in the lower jaw and 9 in the upper jaw).

The number of sites that meet our clinic's reference values sets the range of possible methods.

Yeonhap Dental Clinic looks for positions where 2 mm of bone remains on the cheek side of the implant and 1.5 mm on the tongue or palate side; if the reference values are not met, we first try changing the position and angle and then consider a bone graft. If the remaining bone height above the nerve canal in a lower molar area is less than 5 mm, we do not plan a short implant there and consider All-on-4 at the four front sites (criteria for short implants). In the upper jaw, when placement in the front tooth area is difficult or the goal is to reduce cost, we consider All-on-6 instead of the three-piece fixed type, and in the molar area a sinus lift (a procedure that adds bone toward the maxillary sinus, the empty space above the upper molars) is often done together.

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.

The international consensus also lists sufficient primary stability as a precondition for immediate loading of a fixed full arch (placing temporary teeth right after implant placement), but it has not directly validated our clinic's figures or implant-count combinations (Gallucci 2014). About 90% of our clinic's lower full-arch cases met this condition. For an upper jaw that has had a sinus lift at the same time, our clinic does not place immediate fixed temporary teeth and uses a temporary denture. The temporary denture is either a repaired or adjusted version of the existing denture or a newly made one if needed.

A complete denture takes about 1 month, a fixed implant prosthesis about 4 months in the lower jaw, and the upper jaw about 4 to 8 months depending on immediate loading and a sinus lift.

For implant treatment, the period is stated from placement to the final prosthesis, and for a complete denture, by fabrication time. If extractions are needed, we first see whether same-day placement is possible, and if not, we wait at least 2 months for front teeth and 3 months for molars before placing, so that waiting is added separately. The schedule by site and situation is in Suwon Implant Treatment Period.

We first set the possible range from the remaining bone, and within it look together at cost, insurance, the approach you prefer, and maintenance conditions.

When four sites are available in the lower jaw, we also consider All-on-4, but depending on cost and maintenance conditions some patients choose an implant-supported denture, and if insurance conditions are met we also compare insurance options. A fixed prosthesis requires checking for loose screws, changes in the bite, and peri-implantitis every 6 months, so if that upkeep would be difficult, a removable option may actually be better.

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; those who have already received an NHI-covered complete denture must wait until 7 years have passed, and the detailed application must be confirmed in the follow-up notice. Insurance overall is summarized in Suwon Implant Insurance.

· Whether the dentist explains, with measured values, how many sites can take an implant given the remaining bone

· Whether fixed and removable options were compared together with cost and insurance

· When temporary teeth can be placed, and how the finished prosthesis is checked and repaired

[Key Takeaways]

✓ Yeonhap Dental Clinic compares five options: complete denture, implant-supported denture, All-on-4, All-on-6, and three-piece fixed; the numbers and positions follow our clinic's design standards.

✓ The possible range is set by 2 mm on the cheek side and 1.5 mm on the tongue or palate side at each site, and within it the choice is made by cost, insurance, the approach you prefer, and maintenance.

✓ A fixed prosthesis takes about 4 months in the lower jaw and about 4 to 8 months in the upper jaw, and an expansion of NHI coverage for implants in a completely edentulous jaw is scheduled for January 2027.

When someone comes in having lost all their teeth, most first ask how much it will cost and how many implants will be placed. Before that, I look at the remaining bone on CT, because the possible methods narrow only once the number of sites that can take an implant is settled. In fact, about 90% of our clinic's lower full-arch cases met the conditions for fixed temporary teeth on the same day to within 1 week, and about 1 in 10 patients using the three-piece fixed type added tooth no. 7. That is why I do not decide a method first and fit the bone to it; I measure the bone first and choose the method together with you within it.

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.

National Health Insurance Service. Guide to denture coverage for older adults.

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 differ from person to person depending on the remaining bone and the condition of the opposing teeth, so please decide on a diagnosis and treatment direction only after a thorough consultation with your dental team.

🦷 Implant information: Yeonhap Dental Clinic implant information

📍 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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