All-on-5 Implant Dentures Melbourne - Prosthetics Lab

Who does what

All-on-5 adds a fifth implant, usually in the lower jaw, to spread chewing load across more support. Whether you need four or five is a surgical decision for your implant dentist.

We do not place implants. Your dentist or implant surgeon plans and performs the surgery. Our part is the teeth: we take the records, make the prosthesis in our lab in Oak Park, fit it, and repair it if it ever chips. Dentists who want to refer a case can read about our implant prosthetics lab service.

Why a fifth implant?

All-on-5 is the same idea as All-on-4, a fixed full-arch bridge on implants, with one more implant in the arch. It is most often used in the lower jaw.

The extra implant spreads the chewing load across more support and shortens the length of bridge that hangs past the last implant. Some surgeons prefer it for people with a strong bite, a history of grinding, or bone that is on the softer side. Whether you need four or five is a surgical decision, so ask your implant dentist to explain their reasoning.

What changes for you

Not much day to day. The bridge looks and feels the same as an All-on-4 bridge, and it is cleaned the same way, with a water flosser and small brushes underneath it every day.

The surgery takes a little longer and the cost is usually somewhat higher than All-on-4, because there is one more implant and one more connection in the bridge. Ask for an itemised written quote that separates the surgical fees from the bridge.

Is a fixed bridge right for a lower jaw?

Often the real problem is a lower denture that floats. If that is you, it is worth comparing All-on-5 with a snap-on lower denture on two to four implants. The snap-on option needs fewer implants and less money, and it solves the floating. The fixed bridge gives the most natural feel. Neither is wrong; they suit different priorities.

Questions worth asking your surgeon

• Why five implants for me rather than four?
• Is the bridge screw-retained, and how often will it be removed for a professional clean?
• What is the plan if one implant does not integrate?
• What is the total, and what is included?

Other options we make in our lab

If you are weighing a fixed bridge against something simpler, these are the options we make in our own lab:

• Snap-on dentures clip onto two to four implants placed by your dentist. Our denture fee is $2,200-$4,200 per arch, and the implant surgery is quoted separately by your dentist. Far fewer implants than a full-arch bridge.
• Full dentures from $1,100 per arch, made and fitted here, with no surgery.
• Immediate dentures from $1,450 per arch, fitted the same day your teeth come out, so you are never without teeth.
• Relines from $290 if your current denture is loose and you are not ready to replace it.

Not sure which fits? Book a denture assessment and we will tell you plainly what suits your mouth and budget, including when implants are worth it.