All-on-4 Full-Arch Implants in Wilmington, NC
All-on-4 & Full-Arch Implants in Wilmington, NC — Permanent Teeth on Four Implants
All-on-4 (also called All-on-X, or full-arch fixed implant reconstruction) is the most transformative treatment in modern dentistry for patients who’ve lost most or all of their teeth in an arch. Four to six strategically placed implants per arch support a fixed, non-removable set of permanent teeth. The result functions like natural teeth — you eat what you want, you don’t take anything out at night, you don’t use adhesive, you don’t worry about slipping or clicking during conversation. For patients ready to be done with traditional dentures or with the slow decline of multiple failing teeth, All-on-4 is often the single most life-changing dental treatment available.
At O2 Dental Group of Wilmington on Market Street in Ogden, full-arch reconstructions are placed personally by Dr. Olu Oyegunwa, the founder of O2 Dental Group, with more than 15 years of implant surgical experience. Our office is equipped with on-site 3D cone-beam CT imaging for the surgical planning that makes full-arch outcomes predictable. This isn’t a service we refer out or contract out — the founder of the practice does the placement at this office, with the team that follows your case through every stage of the eight-to-twelve-month treatment timeline.
This page covers what full-arch implant treatment actually is, who’s a candidate, the difference between fixed implant-supported teeth (All-on-4) and snap-in implant-supported dentures, what the treatment process involves from consultation through final restoration, what to expect for cost and timeline, and the kinds of patients we treat most often for this category of work in Wilmington.
What What Full-Arch / All-on-4 Actually Is
A traditional implant approach to replacing all of an arch’s teeth would mean placing an individual implant for each missing tooth — fourteen or more implants per arch, with proportional cost and surgical complexity. All-on-4 takes a fundamentally different approach: four implants strategically placed at angles that maximize bone contact and load distribution, supporting a single fixed prosthetic bridge that contains 12–14 teeth in proper position. The four implants handle the chewing forces; the bridge restores all of the missing teeth aesthetically and functionally.
Some cases use five or six implants per arch rather than four (“All-on-5” or “All-on-6”) for additional stability or to accommodate specific anatomical situations. The clinical principle is the same — a small number of strategically placed implants supporting a complete fixed restoration.
What this is not: a removable denture. The All-on-4 bridge is screwed permanently into place. You don’t take it out at night, you don’t soak it in a cup, you don’t apply adhesive. You brush it like natural teeth and floss under the bridge using specialized tools. The hygienist removes the bridge once a year or so for deep professional cleaning and inspection of the underlying implants and gum tissue, then reseats it. For day-to-day life, it functions like your natural teeth did before you lost them.
Who’s a Right Candidate for All-on-4 Dental Implants
All-on-4 is appropriate for several specific patient situations:
- Patients currently wearing traditional dentures — particularly lower dentures, where stability problems are common. Upgrading to All-on-4 transforms eating, speaking, and confidence.
- Patients with most or all teeth in an arch failing — advanced periodontal disease, multiple severely decayed or fractured teeth, or generally compromised remaining teeth where individual restoration of each tooth would cost more and last less than transitioning to a full-arch solution.
- Patients with previous full-mouth dental work that’s broken down — decades-old crowns, bridges, and partial dentures that are no longer serving the patient and where comprehensive reconstruction is the right path forward.
- Patients who’ve been told they don’t have enough bone for traditional individual-tooth implants — the angled placement strategy used in All-on-4 often allows treatment without the extensive grafting that individual-tooth implants would require in the same anatomical situation.
All-on-4 vs Implant-Supported Snap-In Dentures
Both options involve implants supporting a full-arch tooth replacement, but they’re very different experiences.
Implant-supported snap-in dentures use two to four implants to retain a removable denture. The denture snaps onto the implants for stability during the day, but it’s designed to be removed daily for cleaning. The cost is significantly lower than All-on-4. The trade-off is that the denture is still removable — you still take it out at night, you still have a denture as the visible component of the treatment.
All-on-4 uses four (or more) implants to support a fixed, non-removable bridge of 12–14 teeth. You never take it out. The cost is higher. The result is closer to natural teeth in feel and function. For patients who specifically want to be done with dentures entirely, All-on-4 is the answer. For patients who are okay with a removable denture but want better stability, implant-supported dentures may be the better balance of cost and benefit. We walk through the comparison honestly at every full-arch consultation.
The Landfall retiree transitioning from twenty-year-old upper denture
Wore an upper full denture for twenty years that had been relined twice and was finally beyond reasonable repair. Lower arch had several remaining teeth in moderate-to-poor condition. We did a comprehensive consultation, planned upper arch All-on-4 and a lower arch implant-supported denture. Surgery day: remaining lower teeth removed, four implants placed in the upper arch, two implants placed in the lower arch, immediate temporary upper bridge placed, immediate lower implant denture placed. He walked out with permanent-looking teeth in place after waiting decades to feel comfortable smiling for photos. Final restorations completed seven months later. Total investment around $42,000. He told us he should have done it ten years earlier.
The Ogden patient with full-arch failing dental work from the 1980s
Sixties patient with multiple decades-old crowns, bridges, and partial dentures across both arches — all reaching end of useful life simultaneously. Individual replacement of each failing restoration would have cost more, taken longer, and produced a less coherent result than transitioning to a comprehensive solution. Full-mouth All-on-4 (upper and lower) over a nine-month treatment timeline. Total investment around $60,000. The unified, planned result was significantly better than what twenty more years of piecemeal replacement would have produced.
The Hampstead patient who’d been told he wasn’t an implant candidate
Came to us after two previous consultations elsewhere where he’d been told the bone loss in his upper arch was too severe for traditional implant treatment without extensive grafting and a multi-year process. Our 3D CBCT imaging showed enough bone for angled All-on-4 placement using strategic implant positioning that avoided the most resorbed areas. We placed four upper implants without major grafting, immediate temporary bridge, full integration confirmed at four months, final restoration delivered. Total timeline nine months, total cost around $32,000. He told us afterward he’d almost given up on the idea of fixed teeth entirely — the All-on-4 angled approach made it possible without the grafting he’d been told he’d need.
The Full-arch implant Treatment Process
Full-arch implant treatment runs over 8–12 months in three main phases:
Phase one: comprehensive consultation and surgical planning. 3D CBCT imaging maps your bone anatomy in detail. We design the implant placement strategy that fits your specific case, plan any necessary extractions of remaining teeth, and walk through the complete treatment timeline with you. You leave the consultation with a written treatment plan and an itemized cost estimate.
Phase two: surgery day. If you have remaining teeth in the arch being treated, they’re removed during the same surgical session as implant placement. The four (or more) implants are placed, and an immediate temporary prosthetic bridge is attached the same day in most cases. You leave the surgical visit with teeth in place — not with a gap, not with a removable denture, but with fixed temporary teeth on the new implants. This is the part patients often don’t expect: same-day teeth on the implants. The temporary bridge is designed to function during the healing period while we monitor implant integration.
Phase three: final restoration. Three to six months after surgery, the implants have fully integrated with the bone. We replace the temporary bridge with the final permanent prosthetic — designed and fabricated based on the data we’ve gathered during the healing period about how you actually function, what aesthetic refinements you want, and how the temporary has performed.
Cost of All-on-4 Full Arch Implants in Wilmington
Full-arch All-on-4 reconstructions at our Wilmington office run $25,000–$50,000 per arch depending on case complexity, material choices for the final prosthetic, and whether extractions or additional grafting are needed. The wide range reflects real variation in case complexity — cases with significant preexisting bone loss, complex extractions, or premium aesthetic prosthetic materials fall toward the upper end. Cases with adequate bone and standard materials fall toward the lower end.
Both arches simultaneously is typically priced slightly less than two separate arch reconstructions because much of the imaging, planning, and surgical session can be combined. Most major medical and dental insurance plans cover at least some portion of the procedures involved — extractions, certain implant procedures, the prosthetic component — though pure cosmetic enhancements may not be covered. We verify your specific coverage before treatment. Sunbit financing is available for patient-responsibility portions; for larger case totals, third-party medical financing options are available as well.
Full-Arch / All-on-4 Dental Implants FAQs — Frequently Asked Questions
How much does All-on-4 cost in Wilmington?
Per-arch costs run $25,000–$50,000 depending on case complexity, material choices, and whether extractions or additional grafting are needed. Most patients fall in the $30,000–$40,000 per-arch range for standard cases. Both arches typically priced slightly less than two separate arch reconstructions.
How long does the All-on-4 treatment take?
Eight to twelve months from initial consultation to final permanent restoration. Surgery and immediate temporary bridge placement happens in one day. Three to six months of healing while the implants integrate. Final permanent prosthetic delivered after integration is complete.
Do I have teeth during the healing period?
Yes — an immediate temporary bridge is placed on the implants the same day as surgery in most cases. You don’t leave the surgical visit with a gap or a removable denture; you leave with fixed temporary teeth on the new implants. The temporary functions during healing and is replaced by the final permanent prosthetic after integration.
Who places the implants at the Wilmington office?
Dr. Olu Oyegunwa, the founder of O2 Dental Group, personally performs All-on-4 implant placement at the Wilmington office. He has more than 15 years of implant surgical experience. This service is not referred out or contracted out at our office.
What’s the difference between All-on-4 and snap-in dentures?
All-on-4 is a fixed, non-removable bridge of 12–14 teeth supported by four implants — you never take it out. Implant-supported snap-in dentures use 2–4 implants to retain a removable denture that you take out at night for cleaning. All-on-4 costs significantly more but produces a result much closer to natural teeth. We walk through the comparison at every full-arch consultation.
I was told I don’t have enough bone for implants — can I still do All-on-4?
Often yes — this is one of the most common second-opinion cases we see. The angled placement strategy used in All-on-4 frequently allows treatment in cases that traditional individual-tooth implant approaches couldn’t handle without extensive grafting. We assess your specific anatomy with 3D CBCT imaging at the consultation and tell you honestly what’s realistic.
How do I clean an All-on-4 bridge?
Brush the bridge like natural teeth, floss under the bridge using a specialized water flosser or floss threader (we teach the technique at the delivery visit), and continue routine professional cleanings. Once a year, the hygienist removes the bridge for a deeper professional cleaning of the implants and underlying tissue, then reseats it.
Does insurance cover All-on-4?
Coverage varies significantly. Most plans cover at least some portion of the procedures involved — extractions, certain implant procedures, the prosthetic component — though cosmetic upgrades may not be covered. Annual maximums often cap insurance contribution at a small fraction of total cost. We verify your specific coverage and walk through real numbers before treatment.
Local Areas We Serve in and Around Wilmington
Our Wilmington office is conveniently located off Market Street, making it easy to get here from Ogden and the Mayfaire area. We also welcome patients from nearby communities like Leland and Hampstead, as well as Porters Neck, Wrightsville Beach, Downtown Wilmington, Monkey Junction, Castle Hayne, and Carolina Beach.
- Ogden
- Mayfaire
- Leland
- Hampstead
- Porters Neck
- Wrightsville Beach
- Castle Hayne
- Carolina Beach
- Downtown Wilmington
- Monkey Junction
book your Full-Arch / All-on-4 Consultation in Wilmington
All-on-4 is one of the most transformative treatments in modern dentistry, and it deserves a serious consultation — not a marketing pitch. Pricing is real and significant; outcomes are real and life-changing for the right candidate. The first step is honest evaluation: 3D imaging, careful planning, written treatment plan and cost estimate. Dr. Olu places these personally at our Wilmington office. Book online or call (910) 377-6453.
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O2 Dental Group of Wilmington
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