All-on-4 Versus Full Arch
One goal, two names, and a lot of muddle about which is which. This guide explains what each label means, how we settle on the number of implants, and what a fixed arch of teeth costs here in Broughty Ferry.
What's the Difference Between All-on-4 and Full-Arch Implants, and What Do They Cost in Broughty Ferry?
Full-arch / All-on-4 treatment at our Broughty Ferry practice starts at £9,300 an arch, and is offered through four pathways, each with its own set fee. All-on-4 is a trade name for a single technique: a fixed bridge carried on four implants, the rear pair angled. Full arch is the broader term and may involve four, five or six implants. Our Healed Foundation and Staged pathways use four. On the Same-Day and Premium Guided pathways Dr Sharma settles on four to six after reading your CT scan, and the pathway fee doesn't move with the number.
Same Idea, Different Names
All-on-4 started life as a brand. One implant company coined the term in the 1990s for its particular method of fixing a full set of teeth to four implants, and the name stuck so firmly that it's now applied to nearly any fixed row of teeth. Think of the way a lot of people in Dundee call any sticky tape Sellotape.
Full-arch implants is simply the clinical description. Every tooth in a jaw is replaced by one bridge, screwed to implants, that stays in place and is never removed at home. All-on-4 is one way of achieving that. A bridge supported by five or six implants counts just as much, and all of them are full-arch treatment.
The Reason the Rear Implants Are Angled
The tilt is what makes All-on-4 clever. At the front of the jaw, where bone tends to be deepest, two implants go in straight. The rear pair are angled, sometimes by up to 45 degrees, so they pass in front of the structures that would otherwise be in the way: the nerve running through the lower jaw, and the sinus cavity sitting above the upper back teeth.
Because of the angle, the head of each rear implant emerges further back towards the molars than a vertical implant could reach. The bridge then has a broader base, enough to support chewing teeth, and in a lot of jaws the graft that would otherwise be needed can be skipped. The engineering is sound, which is why most manufacturers now market a version of their own under another name.
See How Many Implants Your Jaw Needs
Your free consultation includes a CT scan, taken on the spot in Broughty Ferry, which shows exactly what your bone will support.
Deciding Between Four, Five and Six
Our implant dentist settles the number using a CT scan from the scanner here in the practice. The scan maps how tall, wide and dense your bone is, in three dimensions, something a flat X-ray or a visual check simply can't do. As a general guide:
| What the scan reveals | Our usual plan |
|---|---|
| Solid, dense lower jaw | Four implants, which is often sufficient |
| Soft upper bone, or substantial bone loss | Five or six, spreading the load further |
| A strong bite or grinding at night | Six more likely, with a night guard as well |
| Marginal for four | Five, as a reasonable compromise |
Extra implants aren't a bonus in themselves. Every one is another site that has to heal and be kept clean. What we want is adequate support with something in reserve. The Healed Foundation and Staged Treatment pathways are built around four implants, while Same-Day and Premium Guided allow four to six, and their fee per arch is the same whichever number your scan points to. Any figure quoted before you've been scanned is guesswork.
Full-Arch Fees at Our Broughty Ferry Practice
We charge by the arch, and the fee is set by your treatment pathway, not by the implant count. 1 The only material choice with a price of its own is the optional zirconia upgrade on Healed Foundation, at £2,500 an arch.
| Pathway | Per arch |
|---|---|
| 01 Healed Foundation: four implants into an arch that has already healed, a fixed acrylic / PMMA bridge after about three months, with zirconia on a titanium bar as an optional upgrade (+£2,500) | £9,300 |
| 02 Staged Treatment: failing teeth removed, a removable temporary denture during healing, and after that four implants carrying a fixed bridge in acrylic / PMMA | £11,500 |
| 03 Same-Day Fixed Teeth: teeth out and four to six implants in on one day, fixed provisional teeth there and then where suitable, with a final acrylic / PMMA bridge once healed | £13,500 |
| 04 Premium Guided Zirconia: as pathway 03, plus advanced digital planning and a custom surgical guide, finished in zirconia on a titanium bar | £14,950 |
Whichever applies, the fee covers a full-arch assessment, your CBCT scan and digital records, 3D implant planning, a written treatment plan, the surgery your pathway calls for, the final bridge it specifies, and routine surgical and restorative reviews until treatment is complete. Routine grafting is included on the Staged, Same-Day and Premium pathways where it's clinically needed. Fixed teeth on surgery day are only part of pathways 03 and 04, and depend on your bone and on how firmly the implants hold once placed, so nobody can promise them until the implants are in; your written plan explains the fallback, and your pathway fee is unchanged if it's used. 2 IV sedation is a separate charge of £500 per session, and more extensive bone augmentation, sinus work or long-term maintenance would be costed in your written plan before you agreed to go ahead.
Each jaw is its own arch, so two arches on Healed Foundation come to £18,600. For a line-by-line breakdown, read All-on-4 cost in Scotland; single teeth are covered in the implant cost guide.
Why the Bridge Matters More Than the Count
People get hung up on four against six, yet the implants live under the gum where nobody sees them. The bridge is what you actually experience: how it looks in a photo on the Esplanade, whether it will manage a crusty roll, and the upkeep it asks of you.
- Acrylic / PMMA is the standard final bridge on pathways 01, 02 and 03. It is light, kind to whatever it bites against and easy to repair. The teeth do wear and can pick up stains, so expect a refresh eventually.
- Zirconia on a titanium bar is the finish on pathway 04, and an optional upgrade on pathway 01 for £2,500 more per arch. The teeth are a tough ceramic that keeps its colour and shape much longer, carried on a precisely milled metal backbone, which suits long spans and powerful bites.
Our bridge materials guide compares the two in detail, and you can handle samples of each at your consultation.
The Treatment, Step by Step
- Consultation. About an hour with Dr Sharma, including the CT scan. There's no fee, just a £40 deposit, which you get back within 7 days of attending.
- Planning. Each implant's position is mapped on the scan and your written plan names the pathway that fits. On Premium Guided Zirconia, a custom surgical guide is also made so the drilling follows the plan precisely. For the two same-day pathways, your provisional teeth are prepared ahead of time.
- Surgery. This depends on the pathway. On Healed Foundation, four MegaGen AnyRidge implants go into the healed arch. On Staged Treatment, failing teeth come out first and you wear a removable denture while you heal, with the implants placed later. On the same-day pathways, remaining teeth are removed and four to six implants placed at one visit (through the guide, with MegaGen's R2 system, on Premium), and if they hold firmly enough the provisional bridge is screwed on before you leave. If they don't, the alternative set out in your plan applies, for the same pathway fee. 2
- Healing. Around three months while the bone bonds to the implants.
- Final bridge. Built from a digital scan once everything has firmed up, in acrylic / PMMA or zirconia on a titanium bar (standard on Premium, an optional upgrade on Healed Foundation), then fitted and adjusted.
- Maintenance. Hygienist visits every three months from that point onwards, four a year, which keep your implant guarantee in force.
Surgery day itself is described in more detail in our teeth in a day guide.
The Removable Option
A fixed bridge isn't right, or wanted, for everyone. An implant-retained denture clips onto a pair of implants in the lower jaw, or four up top. It stops the rocking and does away with adhesive, but it comes out for cleaning. With fewer implants it costs less too, from £8,500 a jaw.
It's often the better fit for someone whose real problem is a loose lower denture, or whose general health makes a longer procedure unwise. All three routes are set out together in our dentures comparison.
Questions to Put to Any Clinic
Committing to a full arch is a big step, so judge quotes on more than the headline price. We'd want these answered in writing by any practice:
- Will you scan me before saying what number of implants I'll need?
- Whose implants do you place, and will spare parts exist ten or twenty years from now?
- Is placement guided, and who actually does the surgery?
- Does the price cover the final bridge, the temporary teeth and any extractions?
- Which material is the final bridge built from?
- What does the guarantee cover, and what are my obligations under it?
Our written plan deals with every one of those before you commit to anything, and it comes with a 5-year guarantee for non-smokers who attend hygiene visits every 3 months.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.