The fifth implant shortens the unsupported span across the arch. The PMMA layer keeps the bridge light enough to load comfortably and serviceable for the long term.
Material · 03 PMMA
All-on-5 in PMMA — the serviceable bridge that suits most upper arches.
PMMA is reinforced acrylic on a titanium bar. It is lighter than zirconia, more forgiving than porcelain, and built to be removed and refined over its service life — which is why it is the most common five-implant choice in upper arches.
Clinically reviewed · Last reviewed 24 May 2026 · Editorial & review
Why PMMA fits five-post plans
A bridge designed to be opened, refined, and put back.
PMMA flexes a fraction more than zirconia, which most patients describe as "tooth-like" rather than "stone-like." The five-post foundation keeps the load distribution honest.
Bite adjustments, polish, minor wear refinement, even cosmetic refresh — all of these happen in the clinic without sending the bridge elsewhere.
The 15-year tooth-layer warranty assumes a six-monthly hygiene and yearly review schedule. Without them the timeline shortens, not lengthens.
What is on the bill
A PMMA All-on-5 plan, line by line.
PMMA All-on-5 · per arch
plan composition
- Implants
- Five titanium posts (premium-brand)
- Substructure
- One titanium bar (lifetime warranty)
- Provisional
- Screw-retained PMMA, fitted if stable
- Definitive tooth layer
- Reinforced PMMA (~15-year service window)
- Diagnostics
- CBCT, intraoral scan, wax-up, written plan
- Reviews included
- 48-hour, two-week, six-month, yearly
- Chairside service
- Bite refinement, polish, minor repair
Bone work, if required to make the fifth site usable, is a separate line item and a separate timeline — not bundled silently into the bridge price.
Who chooses PMMA — and who should not
The honest fit. The honest mis-fit.
PMMA is a reasonable choice when
- The arch is upper, wider, or has soft opposing dentition.
- The patient values chairside service over rare-but-major lab events.
- The bite shows ordinary function, not extreme parafunction.
- The patient is realistic about a six-monthly hygiene and yearly review schedule.
- The aesthetic preference is "warm and forgiving" rather than "rigid and bright."
Where another material is wiser
- Documented heavy bruxism that cannot be managed with an appliance.
- Strong personal preference for monolithic ceramic look and bite response.
- Geographical or logistical constraints that make six-monthly recall unrealistic.
- An expectation that the bridge will be "set and forget" with no service touches.
Service over the decade
PMMA has a service cadence, not a failure point.
Year 0
Delivery & bedding-in
Bite refined at the 48-hour and two-week reviews. Hygiene routine established. First photographs.
Year 1 baseline
Year 1–3
Routine service
Six-monthly hygiene. Yearly bridge removal for ultrasonic cleaning under the prosthesis. Minor polish.
Cadence
Year 4–7
First refinements
Wear patterns reviewed. Targeted addition or smoothing where bite forces have re-shaped the surface.
Adjustments
Year 8–12
Aesthetic refresh
Surface polish or partial re-veneer if requested. Bridge removed and inspected for screw integrity.
Refresh
Year 13–15
Replacement window
Planned tooth-layer replacement on the same five implants. The implants are not affected.
Renewal