All-on-X is not a one-day finished smile. It is a fixed full-arch treatment with distinct surgical, healing, and final-restoration phases. Understanding that sequence before surgery is essential to making an informed decision.
For patients with terminal dentition or failing dentures, the surgical phase may include removal of failing teeth, placement of titanium implants, and immediate loading with a fixed PMMA provisional arch when clinical conditions allow. That provisional remains in place while the implants integrate with the bone for approximately four to six months. The final restoration is then completed in monolithic zirconia.
The temporary teeth are fixed, not removable, but they are still temporary. Surgery day begins the treatment sequence; it does not finish it. Those stages should be clear before you commit to rebuilding an entire arch.
What Is All-on-X Full-Arch Treatment?
All-on-X is a fixed implant-supported treatment that replaces one complete arch of teeth with a connected restoration supported by a planned number of dental implants. It is generally considered when most or all teeth in an arch are failing, missing, or no longer practical to restore one at a time.
- Terminal or extensively failing dentition in one arch
- An arch that is no longer practical to manage tooth by tooth
- Multiple missing or failing teeth within the same arch
- Failing dentures when a fixed implant-supported arch is being considered
Several damaged teeth do not automatically mean All-on-X. The evaluation should first determine whether individual teeth remain appropriate to preserve or whether the arch truly fits a fixed full-arch treatment plan.
Fixed Means the Arch Is Screw-Retained, Not a Snap-In Denture
The full-arch restorations offered at Smiles by Mario Montoya are fixed and screw-retained. We do not provide removable locator-style implant overdentures.
A fixed full-arch restoration and a removable snap-in overdenture are different prosthetic designs with different maintenance and treatment considerations. This practice provides the fixed option.
The Same-Day Part Is the Fixed Provisional, Not the Final Zirconia Arch
When the planned implants achieve the clinical conditions required for immediate loading, a fixed PMMA provisional arch can be delivered during the surgical phase. That allows the patient to leave the surgical appointment with fixed temporary teeth while healing begins.
The final monolithic zirconia arch is completed after osseointegration, generally about four to six months later. We make that distinction clear because “teeth in a day” can sound as though the surgical-day restoration is the final one. In this treatment sequence, it is not.
Four Phases From Full-Arch Planning to Final Zirconia
01
Evaluate Whether the
Arch Should Be Preserved
or Replaced
Clinical evaluation and 3D planning are used to determine whether a fixed full-arch restoration fits the condition of the teeth, bone, anatomy, and restorative goals. The first decision is whether enough individual teeth remain worth preserving or whether the arch is better treated as one restorative problem.
02
Complete Surgery and Deliver the Fixed PMMA Provisional When Appropriate
When immediate loading is clinically appropriate, failing teeth are removed as planned, implants are placed, and a fixed PMMA provisional arch is delivered during the surgical phase. The provisional is designed for the healing period and is not the final zirconia restoration.
03
Allow the Implants to Osseointegrate
Osseointegration is the healing process in which the implants become integrated with the surrounding bone. This phase generally lasts approximately four to six months. Patients follow the specific maintenance and soft-diet instructions provided for the fixed provisional arch during this period.
04
Complete the Final Monolithic Zirconia Arch
After the healing phase, the final full-arch restoration is completed in monolithic zirconia. The final stage is separate from the surgical-day provisional because the implant foundation needs time to heal before the definitive restoration is completed.
Why the Provisional Phase Deserves More Attention Than It Usually Gets
The fixed PMMA provisional is more than a cosmetic placeholder. It is the restoration you live with during the four-to-six-month osseointegration period, keeping the surgical day and final restorative day appropriately separated while the implant foundation heals.
Care during this phase matters. The soft-diet and maintenance protocol help protect the provisional and support the planned healing period before the final zirconia arch is completed.
Full-Arch Treatment Requires Surgical and Restorative Decisions to Agree
Dr. César Cáceres provides implant and surgical expertise, while Dr. Carolina Herrera provides prosthodontic and full-mouth restorative expertise for complex reconstruction. That coordination matters because implant positions, available bone, prosthetic space, bite relationships, and the final arch design all affect one another.
Successful implant placement is only part of the job. The implants also have to support the fixed arch that will ultimately function in the mouth.
What You Should Know About the Final Material
The immediate fixed provisional is made from PMMA, a reinforced acrylic resin used during the healing phase. The final full-arch restoration is fabricated in monolithic zirconia.
Keeping those materials and stages separate in the conversation helps prevent a common misunderstanding about full-arch treatment: the teeth you receive during surgery are not the final zirconia teeth.
Questions to Answer Before Choosing All-on-X
Will I leave with fixed teeth the day the implants are placed?
The treatment protocol includes an immediate fixed PMMA provisional arch when the planned implants achieve the clinical conditions required for immediate loading. Your candidacy for that protocol is determined during treatment planning and surgery.
How long before I receive the final zirconia arch?
The implants generally undergo approximately four to six months of osseointegration before the final monolithic zirconia arch is completed.
Are the teeth I receive on surgery day my final teeth?
No. The surgical-day restoration is the fixed PMMA provisional used during healing. The final restoration is completed later in monolithic zirconia.
Do you offer removable implant dentures?
No. Smiles by Mario Montoya does not provide snap-in locator overdentures. Full-arch implant restorations at the practice are fixed.
Does every failing arch need All-on-X?
No. The first question is whether individual teeth remain appropriate to preserve and restore. Full-arch treatment is considered when the overall condition of the arch makes tooth-by-tooth treatment impractical or unsuitable for the case.
Who coordinates the treatment?
Full-arch care is coordinated across implant, surgical, and restorative planning. Dr. César Cáceres provides implant and surgical expertise, while Dr. Carolina Herrera provides prosthodontic and full-mouth restorative expertise for complex cases.
Before You Commit to a Full Arch, Know Exactly What Happens on Day One and What Happens Months Later
If you are considering All-on-X because repairing one failing tooth after another no longer feels reasonable, the evaluation should tell you whether the arch is truly ready for this level of treatment. You should also leave understanding what is fixed, what is temporary, how long healing is expected to take, and when the final zirconia restoration is completed. You leave surgery day with fixed teeth when the implants allow it, and receive your final zirconia arch after healing — with every step explained before you commit.