Which Full-Arch Bridge?
The two final bridges we make, the pathway each belongs to, what living with each is like and how to choose.
Which Material Is Best for a Full-Arch Implant Bridge?
We make two final bridges, and which one you have follows your treatment pathway. A fixed acrylic / PMMA bridge comes with every pathway except Premium, from £9,300 per arch: it is light, looks natural and is simple to repair, though the teeth wear over the years. Zirconia teeth over a titanium bar milled to fit are included on Premium Guided Zirconia (£14,950 per arch), or can be added to Healed Foundation for £2,500 more; they are much harder wearing and hold their colour. At Peninsula Dentists on Greenwich Peninsula, every pathway comes with your CT scan, planning in 3D, a written plan and reviews until your treatment is finished.
The Two Bridges at a Glance
| Feature | Acrylic / PMMA | Zirconia over a titanium bar |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Natural teeth on a gum-coloured base | The most lifelike finish we make |
| Weight | Lighter | Heavier |
| Wear | Wears gradually over the years | Very hard, wear resistant |
| Colour | May stain with time | Holds its colour |
| Repair | Often done in the surgery | A damaged part can often be replaced on its own |
| Which pathways | 01 Healed Foundation, 02 Staged Treatment, 03 Same-Day Fixed Teeth | Included on 04 Premium Guided Zirconia; an upgrade on 01 Healed Foundation |
| Per arch | Depends on pathway: £9,300, £11,500 or £13,500 | £14,950 with Premium; Healed Foundation + £2,500 |
| 12 months at 0% | From £775 a month | £1,246 a month on Premium |
Fees are guide prices confirmed in your written plan,2 and the monthly figures are 0% Chrysalis Finance over 12 months.4 Your pathway is decided first, because it also settles whether any teeth are extracted, what you have in your mouth during healing and how many implants are placed. The bridge comes after, and it is what you look at and bite on every day.
Acrylic / PMMA
Here the teeth are high-grade acrylic (PMMA), set in a gum-coloured base that screws to your implants. It is the final bridge on every pathway except Premium. It weighs the least, costs the least and is the simplest to mend, and it still looks natural. The trade-off is durability: acrylic teeth wear down and can discolour over time, so at some stage they will need refreshing or the bridge remaking. Plenty of people are happy with acrylic for many years and think about zirconia only when renewal comes round.
Hold Both Before You Choose
At your free consultation Dr Riaz brings samples of each bridge, so you can see and feel the difference.
Zirconia on a Titanium Bar
A titanium bar is milled to sit precisely on your implants, and zirconia teeth are built over it. Zirconia is a very hard ceramic that shrugs off wear, chips and stains, and it gives the most lifelike finish we offer. The bar supplies the strength and a stress-free, passive fit across the arch, which counts most over a long span or with a heavy bite. If a tooth is damaged, the affected part can often be swapped without remaking the whole bridge. It is heavier than acrylic, and it costs more. This bridge is included on Premium Guided Zirconia, and if your arch has already healed you can choose it on Healed Foundation for £2,500 more per arch.
Where the Bridge Fits in Your Pathway
The bridge is the final stage, and the pathway shapes everything before it. Four implants go in on Healed Foundation and Staged Treatment, and between four and six with Same-Day or Premium. Only those last two include fixed temporary teeth on surgery day, and even then your bone has the final say.1 Premium is also the pathway with a custom surgical guide made with MegaGen R2, designed through advanced digital planning. If you choose Staged or Same-Day, your final bridge is acrylic / PMMA.
Making the Choice
- If the fee matters most: an acrylic / PMMA bridge on whichever pathway your mouth needs, from £9,300 an arch.
- If you want looks and longevity: zirconia on titanium, either through Premium or as a Healed Foundation upgrade.
- If you have a heavy bite or want the most natural finish: the rigid bar under zirconia is built for it, and we will talk through whether it is worth it for you.
- If you grind: we match the material to your bite, and a night guard protects whichever you choose.
- What bites against it: natural teeth, a denture or a second bridge in the other jaw all influence the decision.
Whichever pathway you follow, its fee takes in your full-arch assessment, a CT scan with digital records, implant planning in 3D, your written plan, the surgery that route requires, its final bridge and reviews until you are finished, with a five-year guarantee for non-smokers who keep up three-monthly hygiene visits. IV sedation with Dr Imran Riaz is £500 a session. Larger bone grafts, sinus work and ongoing maintenance are not in any pathway fee; we price them if you need them.
Caring for Either Bridge
The routine is the same whichever you choose: clean beneath the bridge every day with a water flosser, see our hygienist every three months, and wear a night guard to bed if you clench or grind. Our guide to everyday life with full-arch implants goes into the detail, and the All-on-4 guide covers the implants underneath.
Questions
This guide explains the options in general terms. Only an examination can tell you which of them suits your own teeth.