All-on-6 sits at the upper end of full-arch pricing, and most people want to know why before they want to know how much.

The short answer is that two extra implants cost more than two extra implants. They also tend to come with a stronger bridge material, because a six-implant foundation is usually chosen for cases where the bite justifies one. Here is what the number is actually made of.

What the figure is made of

A full-arch quotation is not one price. It is six things, and they vary independently.

1. The implants themselves

Six titanium implants rather than four. Each is a manufactured medical component with its own cost, and each adds surgical time. This alone accounts for a meaningful part of the gap between All-on-4 and All-on-6.

2. The bridge material

This is often the biggest single variable. An acrylic bridge on a titanium frame sits at the lower end. A monolithic zirconia bridge — milled from a solid block, far harder, far more stable in colour — sits at the upper end and can differ by several thousand dollars on its own.

Six implants are frequently chosen alongside zirconia, because zirconia does not flex and wants more support points. That pairing is why All-on-6 quotes cluster high: you are usually comparing six implants plus zirconia against four implants plus acrylic.

3. Bone grafting

If the scan shows insufficient bone volume, grafting or a sinus lift may be needed before implants can be placed. This adds cost and adds months. Six implants need more usable bone than four, so grafting is somewhat more likely in an All-on-6 plan.

4. Extractions

Remaining teeth have to come out. A jaw with ten failing teeth costs more to prepare than one with two, and surgical extractions of broken-down roots cost more than simple ones.

5. Infection

Active infection has to be resolved before implants go in. Long-standing periodontal disease or an abscess may mean additional treatment, or a delay between extraction and placement.

6. Sedation

Local anaesthetic is included. Oral sedation adds modestly; IV sedation adds more. This is a genuine choice rather than a clinical requirement for most people, and it is reasonable to ask what each option costs.

What a complete quotation should include

Ask for these in writing, itemised:

• CBCT scan and digital planning
• The surgical guide
• Extractions
• Six implants and their abutments
• The same-day temporary bridge
• The final bridge, with the material named
• All review appointments to the end of treatment
• Sedation, specified

Where a quote is unusually low, the omission is normally the final bridge, the grafting, or the sedation. Those are the three that tend to arrive later as a surprise.

Is the extra cost worth it?

Sometimes clearly yes, sometimes not.

Arguments for six: a heavy bite or a history of grinding; softer bone, particularly in the upper jaw; wanting a zirconia bridge; and the fact that if one implant is lost, five remain rather than three.

Arguments for four: good dense bone, a moderate bite, and the fact that four implants in solid bone is a well-established approach that has served a great many people well. Paying for two implants you do not need is not prudence.

The upper jaw is where the case for six is strongest, because upper bone is generally less dense and the sinus limits where implants can go. Lower jaws often do very well on four.

Our comparison of the two goes through this in more detail.

Insurance, CDCP and paying for it

Most Ontario dental plans contribute, but few cover a full arch. Annual maximums are commonly in the range of a fraction of the treatment cost, which means a plan might cover extractions and part of one stage rather than the whole.

Submit a predetermination before committing. Your insurer reviews the treatment plan and tells you in writing what they will pay. It takes a few weeks and removes the guesswork entirely. We will prepare it for you.

The Canadian Dental Care Plan covers eligible patients for a defined range of services with co-payment tiers based on household income. Major restorative work has its own rules and pre-authorisation requirements. Whether any part of a full-arch plan qualifies depends on your eligibility and on what is being done, so check rather than assume.

Third-party dental financing is widely available and spreads the cost over months or years. We can point you at the options without any obligation.

On treatment abroad

Full-arch treatment is advertised for much less in several countries, and some people have good outcomes. Two things are worth weighing.

The first is follow-up. Full-arch treatment is not a single event — it is surgery, a two-week review, months of monitoring, a try-in, a final fit, and then maintenance for the rest of your life. If something needs adjusting at month four, the distance matters.

The second is that repairing another practice's full-arch work is expensive, and sometimes the components are not available here. Ask, before travelling, which implant system is being used and whether parts for it are stocked in Canada.

Getting a real number

The bracket at the top of this article is honest but wide, because the six variables genuinely move it that much. A scan narrows it to a figure. Book a consultation and you will leave with a written, itemised quotation rather than a range.

Common questions

Why is All-on-6 more than All-on-4?

Two more implants, more surgical time, and more often a zirconia bridge. The material choice usually accounts for more of the difference than the implants do.

Is that price per jaw or for both?

Per jaw. Both jaws roughly doubles it.

Does the price include the final teeth?

It should. Check explicitly — a quote covering only surgery and a temporary bridge will look considerably cheaper than one covering the whole treatment.

Will I need to pay it all at once?

No. Payment normally follows the treatment stages, and financing can spread it further.

Does the CDCP cover full-arch implants?

It depends on your eligibility and on what specifically is being done; major restorative work needs pre-authorisation. Do not assume either way — have it checked before treatment starts.

What happens if I need grafting?

It is quoted separately because not everyone needs it. The scan tells us before you commit to anything.

Are there ongoing costs afterwards?

Yes, and they are worth budgeting for. A professional clean with the bridge unscrewed once or twice a year, and eventual replacement of an acrylic bridge after roughly a decade. Zirconia generally lasts longer.

Is a cheaper quote necessarily worse?

Not necessarily — but compare like with like. Same number of implants, same bridge material, same inclusions. Most large gaps between quotes turn out to be differences in what is counted, not in what is charged.