If you’ve been told you need most or all of your teeth replaced, you’ve probably heard the phrase “teeth in a day.” Patients ask me about it all the time, and the honest answer is that the headline is real but the picture behind it has more steps than most ads show. Same-day teeth on implants, often called All-on-X, can change how you eat, talk, and smile within a single appointment. It can also take five to six months to fully finish, and there are real reasons why.
I’m Dr. Nick Ciardiello, and I do this procedure regularly in our Jersey City office. Below I’ll walk you through exactly what the All-on-X process looks like at Limitless Dental, in plain language, so you can decide if it’s the right move for your mouth.
What does “teeth in a day” really mean?
“Teeth in a day” means you leave the office with a full set of teeth on the same day your implants are placed. The teeth you walk out with that day are a temporary set, not the final ones. They’re built to look natural, let you eat soft foods, and protect the implants while your jawbone heals around them.
The final teeth are made and delivered later, usually four to five months after surgery, once your bone has fully integrated with the implants. So one day for the new smile, several months for the finished case. Both parts matter.
You may also see this called All-on-4, All-on-6, or All-on-X. The number refers to how many implants we place per arch. The “X” is a stand-in because the right number depends on your bone, your bite, and your treatment plan. We’ll talk about that more below. For background on the full system, our All-on-4 page goes into the technique itself.
Who is a candidate for All-on-X?
You may be a candidate if any of the following is true for you:
- You have many failing or already missing teeth in your upper or lower jaw.
- You wear a denture and you’re tired of it shifting, clicking, or covering the roof of your mouth.
- You’ve been told you have advanced gum disease and your teeth are not savable.
- You’ve had teeth missing long enough that bone loss has set in.
You’re not automatically a candidate based on a quick photo. Your bone height, bone density, bite, gum health, medical history, and the position of nerves and sinuses all matter. That’s what the consult is for. We’ll take a 3D x-ray (CBCT scan) of your jaw and use it to plan the surgery before anyone touches your mouth.
How long does the entire All-on-X process take?
From your first consult to your final teeth, the full process usually runs five to six months across about eight visits. Here’s a typical timeline for one of my patients in Jersey City.
Visit 1: Consultation and 3D scan (about 60 to 90 minutes)
I sit down with you, hear what’s been going on, and look at your mouth. We take a 3D x-ray of your jaw, a regular x-ray series if needed, digital scans of your teeth, and clinical photos. You’ll see your scans on screen with me. I’ll explain what I see, what your options are, and which one I’d actually recommend for you. If All-on-X is the right path, we walk through cost, financing, and timing together.
Visit 2: Surgical planning and pre-op (about 45 minutes)
This visit is about getting you ready for surgery. We confirm the surgical plan from your 3D scan, go over medical history one more time, give you pre-op instructions, and answer every question on your mind. If you’re going to be sedated, we walk through what sedation will feel like and what you can and can’t do that morning.
Visit 3: Surgery day (about 4 to 6 hours)
This is the big one. You’ll be sedated by our IV sedation team, which means you’ll be comfortable and won’t remember much of the appointment. While you’re sedated:
- Any remaining teeth that aren’t savable are removed gently.
- The implants are placed in the positions we planned from your 3D scan.
- A set of same-day temporary teeth is attached to those implants.
You leave the office with a full set of teeth on the same day you came in. You will be sore for several days, and we send you home with detailed post-op instructions plus a patient post op bag with everything you need for the first week.
There is a second path here that we may recommend depending on your case. If your bone is softer than ideal, or if your bite would put too much pressure on the implants in the first weeks, I may bury the implants under your gums to heal, and you’ll wear a traditional removable denture during healing instead of same-day fixed teeth. This is called the cover screw route, and it’s the safer call for some patients. I’ll tell you up front which route makes sense for you.
Visits 4 and 5: Post-op checks (about 30 to 45 minutes each)
You’ll come in about one week and then again at three to four weeks after surgery. We check that everything is healing well, clean around the temporary teeth, and adjust your bite if it needs it. Bring questions. This is normal recovery, not a problem visit.
Visits 6 and 7: Final scans and try-in (about 60 to 90 minutes each)
Around month four to five, once your bone has integrated with the implants, we take new scans to design your final teeth. We’ll do a try-in where you wear a non-final version so we can confirm bite, fit, shape, and color before anything is permanent. You get a real say in how the final teeth look. We do this part in-house in our Limitless Lab so we can adjust quickly and on your terms.
Visit 8: Delivery of final teeth (about 60 to 90 minutes)
The final teeth are placed. They’re stronger, fit better, and are color-matched to what we designed at try-in. You leave with the smile that’s going to stay with you. We also schedule your first hygiene visit and walk you through how to clean around the implants long term.
Will I be in pain during All-on-X surgery?
No. During the surgery itself you’ll be sedated. You won’t feel the procedure and most patients don’t remember it. Numbing medication is also placed in the area so the tissue itself is asleep.
Afterward, you can expect soreness, swelling, and bruising for about three to seven days. Most of my patients describe it as more uncomfortable than truly painful. We send you home with prescription medication, ice packs, and clear instructions. The first 48 hours are the heaviest. From there it gets better fast.
What can I eat after All-on-X surgery?
For the first week to ten days, soft foods only. Think eggs, yogurt, smoothies, mashed potatoes, soft fish, well-cooked pasta, soup that is not too hot. You’re protecting the implants while bone starts to grow around them. No chewing crusty bread, no biting into apples, no chewy steak.
From week two to about month four, you can slowly add more variety, but you’re still being thoughtful. Once we deliver your final teeth and confirm everything is integrated, you can eat normally. Many of my patients tell me they forget the teeth aren’t their natural ones.
How much does All-on-X cost in Jersey City?
The honest answer is that it depends on your specific case. The full price includes the implants themselves, the surgery, sedation, your temporary teeth, your final teeth, and all the follow-up visits. We give you the full number up front. No surprise bills.
For patients who need help spreading the cost out, we work with CareCredit, Proceed Finance (which goes up to $60,000 with terms up to 96 months), Sunbit, and Cherry. Many of our All-on-X patients use one of these to make the procedure fit into a monthly payment they can plan around. We’ll go through the numbers with you at your consultation.
How long do All-on-X implants last?
Implants are designed to last decades when they’re placed well and cared for. A 2012 systematic review in Clinical Oral Implants Research by Lang and colleagues reported a pooled two-year survival rate of 98.4% for implants placed immediately into fresh extraction sockets (PubMed). For All-on-X specifically, long-term studies of full-arch implant-supported prostheses also report high survival rates over ten plus years when patients keep up with hygiene and regular checkups.
The implants themselves can last a very long time. The teeth attached on top, called the prosthesis, may need adjustments or replacement after a number of years, the same way any restoration ages. We’ll see you at recall visits to keep an eye on everything.
What’s the difference between All-on-4 and All-on-6?
The number refers to how many implants we use to support a full arch of teeth. All-on-4 uses four implants. All-on-6 uses six. The right number for you depends on:
- How much healthy bone you have
- Where your nerves and sinuses sit
- How much force your bite produces
- Whether you grind or clench your teeth
More implants spread the load across more anchor points, which can help in cases where bite force is heavy. Fewer implants can be enough when bone is dense and the bite is balanced. This is a clinical decision we make from your 3D scan, not a sales decision. I’ll show you what your bone actually looks like and explain the recommendation.
Why do this at Limitless Dental?
A few things are different about how we run All-on-X cases:
- In-house lab. Our Limitless Lab is on the same floor as our operatories. Three 3D printers and a milling unit mean we can design, adjust, and deliver your teeth without sending the case out to an offsite lab. That speeds up your timeline and lets us make changes quickly.
- 3D planning before surgery. We use a CBCT scan to plan every implant position before we place it. You see your own scan with me at the consult.
- IV sedation in-house. You’re comfortable throughout the surgery. We don’t refer you out for the sedation part of the case. See our sedation dentistry page for more on what to expect.
- Same building, same team, full process. The team you meet at your consult is the same team that sees you through surgery, healing, and your final teeth.
Limitless Dental is privately owned, not a corporate chain, and the practice is on one level so you’re not navigating stairs or elevators before or after sedation.
What patients say
This is a real Google review from one of our patients in Jersey City, shared with permission:
“Amazing place. Beginning to end, from the check-in at the front, to the exam and questions, they were thorough and everyone there was very accommodating. The dental experience and practice is still new to the downtown and every detail has been thought of with brand new technology, very spacious and a homey décor, made to put you at ease. Each case is personalized and all options carefully explained. He doesn’t do things that aren’t necessary.”
Hannah F., Limitless Dental patient
Your next step
If you’ve been thinking about All-on-X, the single most useful thing you can do is sit down for a consult. We’ll take a 3D scan, look at your mouth together, and tell you honestly what’s possible. If there’s a less involved option that would work for you, I’ll tell you that too. If All-on-X is the right call, you’ll walk out knowing exactly what your timeline, cost, and recovery look like.
Call our front desk at (551) 525-8284 or visit bestdentistjerseycity.com to schedule a consultation with me. We’ll walk you through what your specific case looks like, including financing if you need it.
Dr. Nick Ciardiello, DMD, FICOI
Limitless Dental, Jersey City
Ready to take the next step with Limitless Dental®? Request an appointment online or call our Jersey City office at (551) 525-8284.
