Planning around weddings, holidays and big dates

A deadline can be a great motivator. Plenty of people finally book All-on-6 because a family wedding is coming, or a milestone birthday, or a retirement trip. The risk is that the deadline starts to drive clinical decisions: surgery squeezed in too close to the event, final teeth rushed, a second trip booked before healing is checked. A little planning lets you have the smile you want on the day without taking those risks.

Decide which teeth you need for the day

There are two versions of the question, and they have very different answers:

Rules of thumb only. Your own healing and your surgeon's plan decide.

For most events, temporary teeth are enough. They are designed to look like natural teeth, and most guests will simply see a new smile. If the event is a once-in-a-lifetime one where you want the final result, plan much earlier.

Working backwards from the date

1. The eventFinal or temporary teeth in place; no fresh swelling.
2. Two to three weeks beforeLatest sensible date for any surgery, so swelling and bruising have faded.
3. If you want final teethThe second trip completed at least two weeks before, to allow for any small adjustments.
4. Three to six months before thatThe first trip, depending on which jaw and whether a graft is needed.
5. Six to eight weeks before the first tripPlan received, GP and UK dentist consulted, flights booked.

Add a margin at every step. Healing can be slower than expected, a graft can extend the timetable, and occasionally an extra visit is needed. See how long between the two trips.

Swelling, bruising and photos

After full-arch surgery, swelling often peaks at two to three days and settles over a week or so. Bruising on the cheeks, jaw or neck can take up to two weeks to fade, especially in older patients and people taking blood thinners. If there will be photographs, avoid having surgery in the two or three weeks beforehand. A sinus lift or larger graft can mean more bruising.

Eating at the event

With temporary teeth, food needs care. A wedding breakfast or birthday dinner is usually fine if you choose softer dishes and cut food small. Avoid crusty bread, hard nuts, toffee, and biting into anything with the front teeth. Have a quiet word with the venue or host if you need a soft option. With final teeth, you can usually eat normally once you are used to them.

Holidays and trips between the two visits

You can travel between the trips. A few precautions help:

• Avoid booking a long trip in the window when your second trip is likely; you do not want to be on a cruise when the clinic is ready for you.
• Take your cleaning kit, and enough of it.
• Save the clinic's contact details and a photo of your implant records on your phone.
• Be careful with food; holidays are where people test temporary teeth on hard bread and steak.
• Check your travel insurance covers you with ongoing dental treatment.

Christmas and the winter months

Many people like the idea of a new smile for Christmas. If you want temporary teeth for the holidays, a first trip in October or early November usually works. If you want final teeth, the first trip needs to be around the late spring or early summer. Bear in mind that direct flights to Antalya are fewer in winter, and that the Christmas period is busy for travel. Ask the clinic about its own holiday closures too.

When the date is fixed and healing is slow

Sometimes the plan does not keep up with the calendar. If your implants need more time and the event is approaching, do not push for the final teeth early. The temporary teeth will usually serve you well on the day, and the final bridge can follow when the implants are ready. Fitting a final bridge before implants have integrated risks overloading them, which could cost far more than a missed photo opportunity. Tell the clinic about your date at the start, and again as it gets closer, so that everyone is planning around it.

Celebrating after the second trip

Some people like to mark the end of treatment with something special: a meal out, a family gathering or a holiday. That is a good thing to look forward to, and it is best planned for a few weeks after the second trip rather than straight after it. The final teeth may need a small adjustment once you have used them for a while, and it is easier to arrange that before you head off somewhere remote. Some patients stay on in Antalya for a few days' holiday after the final teeth are fitted, which also gives the clinic a chance to see them again before they fly home.

Fasting, religious festivals and family duties

If you fast for religious reasons, or a festival involves long days of cooking and hosting, think about where those dates fall. The first days after surgery need regular soft meals, plenty of fluids and medicines taken on time, which can be hard to combine with a fast. Discuss timing with the clinic and, if relevant, with your faith leader; many people simply plan the first trip for a different month. Likewise, if you are the person who hosts the family at Christmas or another festival, avoid having surgery in the fortnight before.

Grandchildren and caring

If you look after grandchildren or another relative, the first trip and the week after it are when you will need cover. Small children like to hug, climb and bump into faces, which is uncomfortable on a swollen jaw. Plan for someone else to take over for a week or so after the first trip; the second trip usually needs much less.

Talking to the family

If the event is someone else's, such as a child's wedding, it can help to tell them your plan early. They may want to know whether you will be able to eat the meal, give a speech or be in photographs. A simple explanation that you will have new fixed teeth by then, possibly temporary ones, usually reassures everyone.

Speeches and talking

If you will be giving a speech, aim to have the teeth you will wear for it, temporary or final, in place at least two or three weeks before. Speech usually settles within a couple of weeks as your tongue adjusts. Practise the speech aloud a few times with the new teeth. If a particular sound is difficult, tell the clinic; the shape of the teeth can sometimes be adjusted.

A sensible summary

For an event, temporary teeth are usually enough, and a first trip three to four weeks beforehand is the minimum. For final teeth, start six to nine months ahead with a margin. Never let the date push surgery too close or the final teeth too early. The event lasts a day; the implants need to last decades.

Common questions

Can I have All-on-6 done in time for a wedding?

Often, yes, if you start early enough. For final teeth, allow five to eight months from the first trip plus a margin. For temporary teeth, a few weeks before the event can be enough, as long as swelling has settled.

Will people notice my temporary teeth at an event?

Usually not. Temporary teeth are designed to look like teeth. They may be a little bulkier than the final ones, and you need to be careful with hard food.

How soon after surgery will swelling go down?

Swelling often peaks around two to three days after surgery and settles over a week or so. Bruising can take up to two weeks to fade. Avoid scheduling surgery within two or three weeks of photos.

Can I go on holiday between the two trips?

Yes, but avoid the window when the second trip is likely, take cleaning aids and the clinic's contact details, and be careful with food.

What if my event date is fixed and healing is slow?

Tell the clinic early. If the final teeth cannot be fitted in time, the temporary teeth will usually be fine for the event, and the second trip can follow.

Sources

1. Oral Health Foundation: dental implants
2. NHS: treatment abroad checklist
3. Cochrane: different times for loading dental implants (Esposito et al., 2013)

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