All-on-6 price myths: eight beliefs that don't hold up

Most of what people believe about All-on-6 prices comes from adverts, forums and friends who had something similar done. Some of it is right. A lot of it is half right in a way that leads to bad decisions. Here are eight of the most common beliefs, with what the evidence and published prices actually show.

Myth 1: "The NHS might pay for it"

For most people, no. The NHS says implants are usually only available privately. They are occasionally provided for patients who cannot wear dentures for particular reasons, such as after mouth cancer or an accident. The NHS option for missing teeth is usually a denture, which in England falls under Band 3, currently £332.10. The NHS also does not refund dental treatment you have abroad. Plan on All-on-6 being private.

Myth 2: "A price is a price"

All-on-6 prices are quoted per jaw, per arch, for both jaws, for "full mouth" or as "from" figures. Five of the eight Antalya clinics in our price comparison publish a one-jaw price. If you need both jaws, a one-jaw price of £4,500 is really about £9,000. Always ask which it is, and compare on the same basis. One jaw or both explains the wording.

Myth 3: "UK implants cost about £2,000 each, so All-on-6 must be £24,000 a jaw"

Multiplying a single-implant price by six does not give a full-arch price, because a full arch is planned and priced as one treatment, and the teeth are a single bridge rather than six crowns. The best published UK benchmark, a survey of more than 25 UK implant dentists reported in 2017, found an average of £13,425 per jaw for a full arch on implants, from £9,000 to £25,400, before scans, extractions and grafts. That is high, but not six single implants high.

Myth 4: "Abroad they use cheap implants"

Some clinics do use budget brands. Many use the same international brands found in UK practices. Taki Dent publishes All-on-6 prices with Nobel Biocare and Straumann implants; Precious Dental uses MegaGen, Neodent or Straumann. The brand is one of the most important questions to ask, because a UK dentist needs to identify the parts to service them later. But the saving abroad comes mainly from lower running and laboratory costs, not from a different class of implant. See why the prices differ.

Myth 5: "The cheapest clinic is always the worst"

Not necessarily. A lower price can come from lower costs, a mid-range implant brand, acrylic rather than zirconia teeth, or a package that leaves out the hotel. Those are trade-offs, not warning signs in themselves. The warning signs are different: a clinic that will not name the implant brand, will not put the plan in writing, or wants full payment before you are examined. Why cheap can cost more explains what to look for.

Myth 6: "The most expensive clinic is always the best"

Price reflects costs, brand choices and positioning as well as quality. The top of the Antalya range, £20,285 for both jaws with Straumann implants at one clinic, buys a premium implant brand; it does not on its own tell you about the surgeon, the laboratory or the aftercare. Ask the same questions of an expensive clinic as of a cheap one.

Myth 7: "The treatment price is the whole cost"

For treatment abroad, add flights for two trips, insurance, meals, a reserve for the unexpected and UK check-ups. For treatment anywhere, add the items a quote leaves out, such as extractions or a scan. In our worked examples, the true cost is about £1,000 to £2,500 above a £6,500 package price. The calculator adds these up for any quote.

Myth 8: "Once it's done, it's paid for"

All-on-6 needs looking after for life. Research summarised by the British Society of Periodontology found inflammation around implants in about 12% of patients at five years and 22% at twenty, with gum disease history, smoking and diabetes as the main risk factors. Regular check-ups and cleaning keep that risk down, and they cost money. Years later, the teeth on top may need replacing. The lifetime cost sets out what to plan for.

Two smaller myths

"Prices in euros are cheaper"

A price in euros is only cheaper if the exchange rate on the day you pay makes it so. The NHS suggests factoring in fluctuating exchange rates. Clinics that charge in pounds, as Precious Dental does, remove that uncertainty.

"A 'free consultation' means no cost"

A free consultation abroad usually means a provisional plan from photos or an X-ray. The CBCT scan and examination on arrival may be included in the treatment price or charged separately; your flights to get there are yours. Ask what "free" covers.

What is true

• All-on-6 is usually private in the UK, and expensive.
• Published prices abroad are often much lower, mainly because of lower running costs.
• The difference between quotes is often in what they include, not just the number.
• The implant brand, the final teeth material and the dentist matter more than small price differences.
• The true cost includes travel, extras and lifelong upkeep.

How to test any claim you hear

When you hear a claim about All-on-6 prices, from an advert, a forum or a friend, three questions sort fact from myth:

1. Per jaw or both? Most confusion starts here.
2. What does it include? Implants, temporary and final teeth, bar, scan, extractions, hotel, transfers.
3. Where does the number come from? A written quote, a published price list, a survey, or someone's memory?

A claim that survives all three is worth taking seriously. One that does not is a starting point for questions, not a basis for a decision.

Why we publish our price

Many myths survive because prices are hard to find. Precious Dental, our top pick, publishes its All-on-6 price, £6,500 for both jaws, with what it includes and what the possible extras cost. We think more clinics publishing clear prices would make the whole market easier for patients, which is also why our comparison shows every clinic we found that does.

One more: "All-on-6 is always better than All-on-4"

Not always. Six implants spread the load and leave more support if one fails, and a 2024 review found less bone loss around implants in six-implant upper-jaw bridges, but no clear difference in survival. Four implants can avoid grafting where bone at the back is limited. The right number depends on your bone. Our sister site All-on-4 vs All-on-6 compares them.

The bottom line

Most price myths come from comparing numbers that are not alike. Put every quote on the same basis, both jaws, same inclusions, and add the costs that sit outside it. Then judge what remains on the questions that matter: brand, materials, dentist, guarantee and aftercare. Our quote checklist is the place to start.

Common questions

Will the NHS pay for All-on-6?

Rarely. The NHS says implants are usually only available privately, except for some patients who cannot wear dentures for specific reasons. It does not refund dental treatment abroad.

Is every All-on-6 price for both jaws?

No. Many clinics quote per jaw. Five of the eight Antalya clinics in our comparison publish one-jaw prices.

Are implants abroad cheaper brands?

Not necessarily. Many Turkish clinics use the same international brands as UK practices. Ask which brand you will get.

Is All-on-6 a one-off cost?

No. Check-ups and cleaning continue for life, and the teeth on top may need replacing after many years.

Sources

1. NHS — Dental treatments (implants usually private)
2. Dentistry.co.uk (2017) — If the price is right
3. Oral Health Foundation — Going abroad for dental treatment
4. British Society of Periodontology — Peri-implant disease review
5. Taki Dent — prices (by implant brand)
6. Sharaf et al. (2024) — Four or six implants for maxillary fixed prostheses: systematic review and meta-analysis. Heliyon

Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.