All-on-6 temporary teeth
The bridge you wear while the implants heal. Often fitted within a day or two of surgery, and designed to be gentle on healing implants.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026After All-on-6 surgery, a fixed acrylic temporary bridge is often screwed onto the implants within a day or two, sometimes the same day, if the implants are firm enough. You wear it for roughly four months while the implants heal, eating soft foods only. The final bridge is then made from new scans.
When same-day teeth are possible
Fitting teeth onto implants straight away needs implants that are firmly anchored in the bone on the day. The Oral Health Foundation says that in some cases it may be possible to place the replacement teeth on the same day, and that your implant dentist will tell you if it's suitable.
With six implants spread along the jaw, the load on each is shared, which can help. But it isn't guaranteed: if bone is soft or an implant isn't stable enough, your dentist may wait.
What the temporary bridge is
- Material: acrylic, lighter and softer than the final bridge.
- Fixing: usually screwed onto the implants, so it stays in day and night.
- Purpose: to let you smile, speak and eat soft food without pressing hard on healing implants.
- Not designed for hard or chewy foods, or for years of use.
Living with temporary teeth
- Soft foods only, cut small. See eating after All-on-6.
- Clean gently around and under the bridge as your clinic shows you.
- Expect speech to sound slightly different for a week or two while your tongue adjusts.
- Avoid smoking: it slows healing.
- Report looseness, cracks, pain that gets worse, or bleeding that won't stop.
Using them to plan your final teeth
Your temporary teeth are a rehearsal. Notice what you like and don't: tooth length, colour, how your lips sit, whether you bite your cheek. Write it down and bring it to the final-bridge appointments.
From temporary to final
After around four months, new scans are taken, a prototype is tried in, and the final zirconia or acrylic bridge is fitted. See materials and the procedure.
Common questions
Are All-on-6 temporary teeth fixed or removable?
Usually fixed: screwed onto the implants like the final bridge. If the implants aren't stable enough on the day, a removable temporary may be used instead.
How long do I wear temporary teeth?
Typically for around four months, the time implants usually take to heal according to the Oral Health Foundation. Sometimes longer, for example after a bone graft.
What if my temporary teeth crack?
Contact your clinic. Acrylic temporaries can crack, especially with hard food. A crack usually needs repairing so biting force stays spread evenly while the implants heal.
Will my temporary teeth look like the final ones?
Similar, but simpler. The temporary bridge is lighter and less detailed. Use it to tell your dentist what you'd like changed in the final teeth: shape, length, colour.
Sources
- Oral Health Foundation — Understanding dental implants (same-day teeth, healing time)
- British Society of Periodontology — Patient FAQs: dental implants (signs of complications)
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
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