Full-Arch Bridge Options
The two final bridges we fit, how they differ, which pathway each one comes with, and how to decide.
What's the Best Material for a Full-Arch Bridge?
That depends on your priorities. A fixed acrylic / PMMA bridge is lighter and easier to repair, and it's the standard bridge on three of our pathways (Staged Treatment, Same-Day Fixed Teeth and Healed Foundation). By contrast, zirconia teeth on a titanium bar are far harder, resist staining and give the most realistic finish: they're included on the Premium Guided Zirconia pathway (£14,950 per arch) and can be added to Healed Foundation (£9,300 per arch) for +£2,500. Both are fixed to your implants at St Vincent Smile in Glasgow.
Side by Side
| Feature | Acrylic / PMMA teeth | Zirconia, titanium bar |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Natural, with a gum-coloured base | Lifelike and translucent, our most realistic finish |
| Weight | Lighter | Heavier |
| Wear | Teeth wear over the years | Very hard, resists wear |
| Staining | Can stain | Resists staining |
| Repairs | Usually at the chair | A damaged tooth can often be replaced on its own |
| Suits | A fixed result at a lower fee, lighter bites | Strong bites, longer spans and the most lifelike look |
| Which pathway | Standard on three pathways: Same-Day Fixed Teeth (£13,500), Staged Treatment (£11,500), Healed Foundation (£9,300) | Included on Premium Guided Zirconia (£14,950); a +£2,500 upgrade on Healed Foundation |
Fees are per arch and follow the pathway, not only the bridge: each pathway also pays for your assessment, CBCT scan, 3D planning, the surgery and reviews. Even so, the final bridge is the part you'll see and use every day for years, so it deserves a careful choice.
Acrylic / PMMA
Acrylic (PMMA) teeth set in a gum-coloured acrylic base on a reinforced frame. It's the lighter of the two, the easier to repair, and it gives a natural look. Acrylic teeth do wear and can pick up stains over the years, so expect the teeth to be refreshed or the bridge remade at some point. It's the bridge you get on our first three pathways (Staged Treatment, Same-Day Fixed Teeth and Healed Foundation), and many people treat it as a first bridge, moving to zirconia when it's due for replacement.
See the Options in Person
We'll show you samples at your consultation.
Zirconia on a Titanium Bar
The base is a titanium bar, machined to match the position of your implants exactly, with zirconia teeth built onto it. Zirconia is an extremely hard ceramic that resists wear, chipping and staining, and it's shaded to look like natural teeth and gum for far longer than acrylic. The bar gives the bridge its strength and an accurate, passive fit on the implants, which matters most on long spans and heavy bites. It's heavier than acrylic, and if a tooth is ever damaged, that tooth can usually be swapped rather than the bridge being remade. Premium Guided Zirconia includes it as standard, and Healed Foundation can add it for +£2,500 per arch.
Which Bridge Comes with Which Pathway
Your pathway depends on where you're starting from, and the bridge follows from it:
- Healed Foundation, £9,300 per arch: acrylic / PMMA as standard, with a +£2,500 option to have zirconia on a titanium bar
- Staged Treatment, £11,500 per arch: acrylic / PMMA
- Same-Day Fixed Teeth, £13,500 per arch: temporary teeth fixed in on surgery day if suitable,1 then an acrylic / PMMA final bridge
- Premium Guided Zirconia, £14,950 per arch: zirconia on a titanium bar, included
A solid zirconia bridge without a bar isn't offered as a separate option here. Where you choose zirconia, it's built on a titanium bar.
How to Choose
- Budget first: an acrylic / PMMA bridge gives you fixed teeth at the lower fee, and it can be upgraded when it's due for replacement
- Looks and longevity: zirconia on a titanium bar is the step up in hardness, appearance and stain resistance
- A heavy bite or a long span: this is where the titanium bar's strength counts most
- Grinders: we'll talk through which option suits your bite, and a night guard protects either
- Opposing teeth: what you're biting against (natural teeth, a denture, another bridge) also steers the choice
We'll show you samples of both at your consultation. Whichever bridge your pathway includes, the fee also takes in your assessment, CBCT scan, 3D planning, the surgery and reviews until you're finished.2
Looking After Either One
Daily cleaning under the bridge with a water flosser, hygiene visits every three months, and a night guard if you grind. Our guide to living with full-arch implants covers the detail, and our All-on-4 guide explains the implants underneath.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.