RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY
Full Mouth Dental Implants in Glendale, CA
Replacing Every Tooth, Upper and Lower
Full mouth dental implants means restoring both arches, top and bottom, with teeth anchored into the jaw rather than resting on the gums. It is the answer when most or all of the teeth in both jaws are missing, failing, or already replaced by dentures that no longer do the job.
The phrase causes a lot of confusion, so it is worth being precise. Full mouth means both jaws. Full arch means one jaw. All-on-4 is a technique for restoring a single arch on four implants, and a full mouth case is frequently two All-on-4 arches. But it does not have to be. You can combine different solutions top and bottom, and for a lot of patients that is the smarter plan.
At Glendale Dental Wellness, a full mouth assessment starts with a 3D CBCT scan of both jaws so Dr. Chan can measure the bone you have in each one separately. The upper and lower jaw rarely need the same treatment, and planning them as a single block is how people end up paying for more than they needed.
Why the Upper and Lower Jaw Are Different Problems
Patients tend to assume a full mouth case is one decision applied twice. Clinically it is two decisions, because the two jaws are not built the same way.
- The upper jaw has softer bone and the sinus cavities sit directly above it. That sometimes means more implants, angled placement, or a sinus lift. It is also where going fixed matters most, because a conventional upper denture covers the roof of the mouth and noticeably dulls taste.
- The lower jaw generally has denser bone at the front, which is exactly what the tilted implant technique uses. Lower cases are often more straightforward. A conventional lower denture is also the one people struggle with most, because there is less ridge to hold it and the tongue works against it.
This is why the sensible sequence is to scan both jaws, price them separately, and then decide. If the budget only stretches to one arch this year, you will at least know which one buys you the most.
What Affects the Cost of Full Mouth Dental Implants
A full mouth quote is never one number, and anyone offering one over the phone is guessing. The total turns on how many teeth need removing, how much bone sits in each jaw, whether either side needs grafting, which materials you choose, and crucially whether you treat both arches together or stage them.
Because the two jaws are separate clinical problems, they are also separate line items. The variables:
- Upper and lower are priced independently. Softer bone and the sinuses above the upper jaw can mean more implants or a different approach than the lower needs. Ask for each arch costed on its own.
- Which solution you choose for each arch. A fixed bridge, an implant-supported denture and a conventional denture sit at very different price points, and you can mix them. See your options below.
- Extractions. Remaining teeth in the arches being treated are removed first and billed separately.
- Bone grafting. Only where the scan shows it is needed. Grafting is more often required in the upper jaw than the lower.
- Together or staged. Treating both jaws in one surgical visit means one course of anaesthesia, one recovery and one laboratory workflow, so it is normally cheaper overall than two separate cases.
- Any groundwork first. Active gum disease is stabilised before implants go in. LANAP laser gum treatment is one route for that.
Ask for both arches priced separately
This is the single most useful thing you can ask any practice quoting full mouth work. If a quote arrives as one lump figure, request the breakdown: upper, lower, and what changes if you stage them. Without it you cannot tell whether the plan is right or simply expensive, and you cannot make a sensible decision about doing one arch now and the other later.
How to get an accurate figure for your case
Glendale Dental Wellness offers a complimentary dental implant consultation, covering function, aesthetics, timelines and budget with Dr. Chan. For a full mouth case that means scanning both jaws and planning each on its own merits. There is no obligation to book treatment on the day.
If you want indicative numbers first, our main dental implants page publishes typical Los Angeles-area ranges for each treatment type, marked as market orientation rather than a quote from this practice.
Ways patients pay for a full mouth case
At this scale almost nobody pays from a single source. Most patients combine two or three of the following.
- PPO insurance. We accept all PPO plans and handle the paperwork. Full mouth work almost always exceeds an annual maximum, which is why staging matters.
- Staging across two benefit years. Treating one arch late in one calendar year and the other early in the next can put two annual maximums against a single case. Worth raising at your consultation if you have PPO coverage.
- CareCredit financing. Monthly payment plans with 0% and low-interest options depending on the amount and your credit.
- In-house membership plan. No insurance? Our membership plan bundles preventive care for a flat annual fee with a discount on further treatment, and covers the hygiene visits implants need afterwards.
Our insurance and financing page covers each option in more detail.
Ready to have both jaws assessed? Call 818-243-3838 or request an appointment online. We are open Monday to Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
You Do Not Have to Do the Same Thing Top and Bottom
This is the single most useful thing to understand about full mouth treatment, and the thing most people arrive not knowing. Each arch is priced and planned on its own, so you can put the money where it does the most good.
Fixed upper and fixed lower
Both arches on fixed bridges. Nothing removable, nothing over the palate, chewing closest to natural teeth. The most expensive route and the one most people want if the budget allows.
Fixed upper, implant denture lower
Fixed where it matters most, because the upper denture is the one that covers the palate and blunts taste. A clip-in lower on two to four implants is dramatically more stable than a conventional lower plate at a fraction of the fixed price.
Implant dentures both arches
Two to four implants per jaw holding removable overdentures. No adhesive, very little movement, and you unclip them to clean. The most affordable route into implant-anchored teeth.
One arch now, one arch later
Treat the jaw giving you the most trouble first and revisit the other when you are ready. Slightly more expensive overall, but it spreads the cost and can claim two years of insurance maximums.
Implants on one arch, natural teeth kept on the other
If one jaw still has healthy teeth worth saving, we save them. Full mouth implants are not automatically the answer just because one arch has failed.
Not implants at all
Sometimes conventional dentures are the honest recommendation, whether because of health factors, bone volume or budget. We would rather tell you that than sell you something that will not work.
Most people do not need the most expensive option in every position. The upper arch is where going fixed changes daily life the most, because a conventional upper plate covers the palate and noticeably blunts taste. The lower arch is often where an implant-supported denture delivers most of the benefit for a good deal less. A plan that mixes the two is a considered clinical decision rather than a compromise, and it is worth asking about explicitly.
What a Full Mouth Case Actually Looks Like
Typically four to eight months from first surgery to final teeth. Most of that is healing rather than appointments, and you are not without teeth at any point.
1. Scan and plan both jaws
A 3D CBCT scan of the upper and lower jaw separately. Dr. Chan measures bone volume in each, locates the sinuses and the nerve, and builds a plan for each arch on its own merits.
2. Two prices, one conversation
You get the upper and the lower costed separately, plus what changes if you do both together or stage them. In writing, before anything is scheduled.
3. Extractions and placement
Remaining teeth in the arches being treated are removed and the implants placed in the same visit. Nitrous oxide sedation is available. Doing both jaws together means one recovery instead of two.
4. Temporary teeth the same day
Where your bone and the stability of the placed implants allow it, a temporary fixed bridge can be fitted at the same visit. It looks natural and lets you manage a soft diet while healing. Whether this applies to you is settled during planning.
5. Healing and integration
Three to six months for the implants to fuse with the bone, with review visits along the way to check healing and bite. The upper and lower can heal at slightly different rates.
6. Final teeth fitted
Your permanent prostheses are fitted and the bite is balanced across both arches together, which matters more in a full mouth case than in a single arch one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to treat both jaws at the same time?
No. Plenty of patients treat one arch now and the other later, often a year or more apart. Treating both together is usually cheaper overall than two separate cases and means one surgical visit and one recovery, but it is not required. If budget is the constraint, we normally start with the arch causing the most trouble, which for most people is the upper.
Can I have a fixed bridge on top and something removable on the bottom?
Yes, and it is more common than people expect. The upper jaw benefits most from going fixed, because a conventional upper denture covers the palate and dulls taste. The lower jaw often does well with an implant-supported denture, which costs considerably less. Mixing the two is a legitimate plan, not a compromise, and it can bring a full mouth case within reach for a lot of patients.
How long does a full mouth case take from start to finish?
Usually somewhere between four and eight months from the first surgery to the final set of teeth. Most of that is healing time while the implants fuse with the bone, not appointments. You are not left without teeth during it. Where bone and implant stability allow, a temporary fixed bridge can be placed at the surgical visit, though that is confirmed during planning rather than promised in advance.
Why does the upper jaw sometimes cost more than the lower?
Upper jaw bone is generally softer than lower jaw bone, and the sinus sits above it. That combination sometimes calls for more implants, a different angle of placement, or a sinus lift. The lower jaw usually has denser bone at the front, which is exactly what the tilted implant technique makes use of. Your 3D scan shows which of these applies to you.
Is full mouth the same as All-on-4?
Not quite. All-on-4 describes a technique for restoring one arch on four implants. Full mouth means both arches, upper and lower. A full mouth case is often two All-on-4 arches, but it can also combine different solutions top and bottom. Think of full mouth as the scope of the treatment and All-on-4 as one of the methods used to deliver it.
What happens to my remaining teeth?
Any teeth in an arch being restored are removed at the surgical visit, before the implants go in. If some of your teeth are still healthy and worth keeping, full mouth implants may not be the right answer at all, and we will say so. Individual replacement with single implants or a bridge preserves what you have and usually costs less.
Will my face change?
Usually for the better. Long term tooth loss lets the jawbone shrink, which shortens the lower third of the face and causes the collapsed look associated with long term denture wear. Implants transmit chewing force into the bone, which helps preserve it. Restoring proper tooth height also supports the lips and cheeks again.
