The full-arch procedure, start to finish

Extractions and full-arch implants in one visit

Medically reviewed by Dr. Greg Pedro, DMD Reviewed September 23, 2026 How we review

If you still have some of your own teeth — loose, broken down, or failing — one of the most daunting-sounding parts of full-arch is the idea of having them removed. Add “and implants placed the same day,” and it can sound like a lot to face at once. In reality, doing both in a single surgery is one of the quiet advantages of the full-arch approach: it means one procedure and one recovery instead of two. Here is how it works, why it is done together, and the honest limits of when it can be.

Why it’s done in one visit

For many people considering full-arch, the remaining teeth in the arch are not worth saving — failing from advanced gum disease, decay, fracture, or old dental work that has run its course. The traditional path would be to remove those teeth, wait months for the gums and bone to heal, and only then start implants. That is two surgeries and two recoveries.

The modern full-arch approach often combines them. In one well-planned visit, the hopeless teeth are removed and the implants are placed into the planned positions. The benefits are real:

  • One recovery. You go through healing once, not twice.
  • Less total time without a stable smile. Combined with same-day temporary teeth, you can go from failing teeth to a fixed temporary smile in a single day.
  • A plan that uses fresh sites. Your surgeon designs implant positions with the whole arch in mind, sometimes using the bone freed up by removing teeth.

What the visit actually involves

The one-visit surgery is an orderly sequence, and you are comfortable throughout:

  1. Comfort first. You are thoroughly numbed with local anesthetic and, in most full-arch cases, sedated to your comfort — IV sedation is common. You feel pressure, not pain.
  2. Removing the failing teeth. The hopeless teeth in the arch are gently extracted. In a numbed, sedated patient this is routine and comfortable, and many patients remember little of it.
  3. Preparing the sites and bone. Your surgeon cleans the extraction sites and prepares the bone for implants using slow, water-cooled drilling that protects the living bone.
  4. Placing the implants. Four to six implants are placed into the planned positions — at myFullArch, with robotic, Yomi-guided precision keeping each on plan in position, angle, and depth. Your surgeon feels for firm grip (primary stability) as each seats.
  5. Same-day teeth, when appropriate. If the implants grip firmly enough and your surgeon judges it suitable, a fixed temporary bridge is attached before you leave.

The honest limits

Combining extractions and implants is well established, but it is not automatic — it depends on your specific situation, and a trustworthy surgeon treats that seriously.

  • Bone and gum condition. There has to be enough healthy bone in the right places to anchor the implants once the teeth are out. Your CBCT scan answers this in advance.
  • Active infection. If a site is actively infected, your surgeon may thoroughly clean and treat it, adjust the plan, or occasionally let that spot heal before placing an implant there. Placing into a site that is not ready is not worth the risk.
  • Immediate loading is a separate question. Removing teeth and placing implants in one visit does not automatically mean same-day teeth. Whether you get a temporary bridge that day still depends on how firmly the implants grip. Sometimes implants are placed but left to heal before any teeth go on.

If your surgeon recommends staging part of your treatment — healing a site first, for instance — that is the conservative, protective call, and it does not diminish your final result.

Recovery after a combined surgery

Because you go through it once, recovery is a single, manageable stretch. Expect some soreness, swelling, and possibly bruising for a few days, easing steadily and managed with the medication and instructions your surgeon provides. You will follow a soft diet to protect the sites and any same-day teeth. If you were sedated, arrange a driver. Follow-up visits confirm everything is healing as it should, and the implants then begin the quiet, months-long process of fusing to the bone.

The honest bottom line

For many full-arch patients, removing failing teeth and placing implants in the same surgery is the efficient, well-established path: one procedure, one recovery, and — combined with same-day teeth when appropriate — the ability to go from failing teeth to a fixed temporary smile in a single day. You are numbed and sedated throughout, so you feel pressure, not pain. Whether it is right for you depends on your bone, your gums, any infection, and your surgeon’s judgment, informed by a thorough exam and CBCT scan. This is general education, not personal medical advice; your surgeon’s plan for your case always governs.

Sources

  1. Cleveland Clinic — Dental Implants: What They Are, Procedure & Recovery
  2. American Academy of Implant Dentistry — What are Dental Implants?
  3. American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons — Anesthesia

Common questions

Is it safe to remove teeth and place implants the same day?

In well-selected cases, yes — it is a well-established approach. Combining extractions with implant placement means one surgery and one recovery, and full-arch plans are often designed around this. Whether it is right for you depends on the condition of your bone and gums, any infection present, and your surgeon's assessment. If a site needs to heal first, your surgeon will tell you.

Does removing all my teeth at once hurt?

During surgery, no. You are fully numbed with local anesthetic and usually sedated, so you feel pressure rather than pain, and many patients remember little of it. Afterward, expect some soreness and swelling for a few days, managed with medication and instructions. Because it is done in one visit, you go through recovery once rather than twice.

Will there be an infection risk if a tooth was already infected?

Your surgeon assesses this carefully. Active infection at a site is one reason a surgeon may clean and treat the area, adjust the plan, or occasionally let a spot heal before placing an implant there. This is exactly the kind of judgment that a thorough exam and CBCT scan inform. An honest surgeon will not place an implant into a site that is not ready.

This article is general education, not medical advice. Every mouth is different — talk to a licensed dentist or oral surgeon about your own situation before making a decision.