01
A single fixed bridge
One continuous prosthesis screw-retained onto five posts. Removable only by the clinician for service.
A Patient Guide · Updated May 2026
Full-arch teeth on five implants — when the fifth post is the right call.
Not four because the brochure said four. Not six because more sounds safer. Five when the scan, the bite, and the bone agree.
Clinically reviewed · Last reviewed 24 May 2026 · Editorial & review
- Visits
- Usually two trips, months apart
- Provisional
- Same-week if stability permits
- Definitive bridge
- After osseointegration confirmed
- Maintenance
- 6-month hygiene, yearly review
What All-on-5 is
Five implants. One bridge. One decision made from records.
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Five planned sites
Placement decided from CBCT and a wax-up. The fifth site exists because the records earned it.
03
Two phases, months apart
Surgery and provisional first; healing; then the definitive bridge once integration is confirmed.
Why five — honestly
Four. Five. Six. The honest difference.
All-on-4
Four implantsA proven minimum when bone is good, the bite is balanced, and the arch is not wide. Two angled posterior implants extend the support without invading the sinus.
- Fewest surgical sites
- Lowest component cost
- Span between rear implants is longer
All-on-5
Recommended whenThe middle ground when the scan shows the four-post span is too long for the bite, but a sixth implant has nowhere clean to sit. Common on upper arches and wider arches.
- Better load distribution than four
- Avoids the cost and complexity of six
- Requires the fifth site to be genuinely usable
All-on-6
Six implantsReserved for wider arches, heavier bites, or cases where two extra anterior implants meaningfully change the prosthetic design — not as a default upgrade.
- Most support points
- More surgery, more components, more cost
- More demanding to clean and maintain
Candidacy
Who All-on-5 is actually for.
A reasonable candidate
- Adults with a failing or fully edentulous arch and stable general health.
- An upper or wider arch where four posts would leave too long a span.
- Enough bone volume at the planned fifth site, confirmed by CBCT.
- Periodontal infection treated or controlled before surgery.
- Realistic about lifetime maintenance and hygiene reviews.
Where another plan is wiser
- No usable bone at the proposed fifth site.
- Active infection, untreated periodontal disease or unstable systemic conditions.
- Heavy bruxism that cannot be managed during healing.
- A bridge design that cannot be cleaned around five supports.
- Expecting the bridge to be maintenance-free once delivered.
The process
Five steps. No surprises.
Step 01
Records & diagnosis
Medical history, periodontal charting, CBCT scan, intraoral scan, photographs and a written diagnosis.
Visit 01 · Day 1
Step 02
Written plan
A diagnostic wax-up confirms the bite, the bridge shape and the five implant positions before surgery is scheduled.
Before surgery
Step 03
Surgery & provisional
Five implants placed under guided protocol. A provisional bridge is loaded only when stability allows.
Visit 01 · Day 2–4
Step 04
Healing & reviews
48-hour review, two-week review, then monthly remote check-ins while osseointegration progresses.
~4 months
Step 05
Definitive bridge
Once integration is confirmed, the definitive bridge is fabricated, fitted and torqued. Maintenance schedule begins.
Visit 02
Materials & longevity
What sits on the five implants — and how long it lasts.
PMMA
Acrylic provisional
The bridge worn during healing. Reliable, repairable, and never the final answer. Expect 12–24 months of service.
Provisional12–24 mo
Zr
Zirconia bridge
Monolithic or layered zirconia: the most durable definitive choice. Strong, biocompatible, and tolerates heavier bites with predictable wear.
Definitive10–15+ yrs
PFM
Porcelain-fused-metal
Porcelain on a metal substructure. Excellent aesthetics and proven longevity when the bite is balanced and chipping risk is managed.
Definitive10–15 yrs
A premium-quality All-on-5 case typically pairs a PMMA provisional during healing with a zirconia or porcelain-fused bridge at delivery. Anyone offering a single price without naming both materials is quoting two different cases as if they were one.
What it costs — and why
No bottom-line number on this page. Just the line items that move it.
When two quotes are far apart, one of these five drivers is usually doing the work. A premium plan will be transparent about each. A budget plan will be silent on most.
Implant brand & surgical protocol
Driver 01Premium implant systems with documented long-term data and digitally guided placement cost more than commodity systems placed freehand — and they should.
Bridge material
Driver 02A definitive zirconia or porcelain-fused bridge is a different product from a long-worn acrylic provisional. The price gap is real and earned.
Diagnostic depth
Driver 03CBCT, intraoral scans, a wax-up and a written plan add cost up front and remove cost from the next decade. Cases without them tend to be remade.
Bone work, if needed
Driver 04Grafting or sinus elevation is sometimes the only way to make the fifth site usable. It is a separate line item and a separate timeline.
Maintenance & warranty
Driver 05A serious quote names the maintenance schedule and the warranty terms in writing. A silent quote externalises both onto you.
Before you pay
An eight-point check. Print it. Take it in.
- Why five and not four or six.
The reason should reference your CBCT, your bite, and your bone — not a price list or a package name.
- Implant system, named.
A brand and model with documented long-term data, not "premium European" as a category.
- Bridge material at delivery, named.
Provisional and definitive listed as two separate items with two separate prices.
- Written diagnosis & wax-up.
A plan you can read, dated and signed, before any surgical decision is finalised.
- Provisional protocol.
Same-day loading only if stability is confirmed, with a written "if/then" for the alternative.
- Maintenance schedule.
Hygiene cadence, yearly review, and what is included vs charged separately.
- Warranty terms.
What is covered, for how long, and under what conditions — in the contract, not the brochure.
- Who will perform the surgery.
Named clinician, credentials, and the same name still present on the day.
Common questions
Things patients ask before they decide.
Because the scan may show a four-post bridge leaves too much span or too little support — especially in the upper arch. The fifth implant is added when records make the case for it, not by default.
No. The provisional is loaded only when implants reach safe stability during surgery. If they do not, the provisional waits — and that is the safer outcome, not a worse one.
No. It is better only when the added site improves support without creating a cleaning or surgical problem. Otherwise four is the cleaner plan.
Usually, but the price gap should reflect one fewer implant and abutment — not an inferior material or a shorter warranty. Compare the line items, not just the totals.
Implants are designed to last decades when oral hygiene and maintenance reviews are honoured. The bridge material on top has a separate lifespan — porcelain-zirconia bridges typically outlast acrylic provisionals by years.
Two is the standard pattern: one for records, surgery and the provisional bridge; a second after osseointegration for the definitive bridge. A single-trip case exists, but it is the exception and it should be justified in writing.
Contact
Ask the question. Get a written answer.
Send a short note: what you have, what you have been told, what you would like clarity on. Attach scans or quotes if you have them. Replies are written, signed and slow on purpose.
- Reply window
- Within two working days, by email
- What we read
- Your scan, your existing quotes, your written history
- What we send
- A short written assessment — not a sales call
- What we never do
- Quote a final price without records, or chase you afterwards
Why this guide can be trusted
Four signals. None are decoration.
Signal · 01
Clinically reviewed
Every medical page is reviewed by a registered specialist in oral surgery and implantology before publication.
Signal · 02
Editorially independent
No advertising, no affiliate commissions, no clinic ranking. The guide is funded by the people who write it.
Signal · 03
Dated & revised
Every page carries first-published, last-reviewed and next-scheduled-review dates. Out-of-date pages are revised or removed.
Signal · 04
Trade-offs in writing
Where a recommendation has a downside, the downside is named on the same page. Omissions are an editorial failure.