One Arch, Four to Eight Implants
All-on-4 vs All-on-X +
All-on-4 tilts the back two implants. All-on-X lets the anatomy set the count, usually four to six.
FP1 — Crown Only +
This design replaces the crown alone. It requires bone and soft tissue that a failing dentition rarely leaves behind.
FP2 — Crown and Part of the Root +
This design replaces the crown and part of the root, so the teeth appear long and the junction can be visible.
FP3 — Crown and Gum +
Pink is part of the prosthesis, and the transition zone has to sit above the smile line.
RP4 — Removable on a Bar +
This design comes out for cleaning and rides on a milled bar. It is highly retentive and needs the most vertical room.
RP5 — Removable on Attachments +
This design comes out for cleaning and shares the load with the ridge. It needs less room, and its attachments wear and get replaced.
Four Ways to Build a Fixed Arch
All four designs screw onto multi-unit abutments. TrueGuide Dental builds all four, and they differ in how they are repaired when something chips.
Acrylic Hybrid on a Titanium Bar
An acrylic hybrid is the lightest of the four and the easiest to repair. It wears, stains and needs the most vertical room.
Monolithic Zirconia on Ti‑Bases
Monolithic zirconia does not stain and shows almost no wear. It is rigid, so a fracture means a remake, not a repair.
Zirconia Over a Milled Titanium Bar
Zirconia over a milled titanium bar takes flex out of long spans and distal extensions, and out of short vertical height.
Individual Crowns on a Milled Bar
Individual crowns on a bar let you repair one unit at a time, and they carry the highest lab cost of the four designs.
When Removable Is the Better Answer
Lip Support
Reduce the flange on the trial denture and watch the lip. If it collapses, the patient needs the flange a removable design provides.
Vertical Room
A bar overdenture needs more vertical room than any other design here, and limited vertical height rules the fixed designs out.
The Transition Zone
The transition zone is where the prosthesis meets the tissue. If a high smile line exposes that junction, a removable design conceals it better.
Vertical Space Decides the Design
From the Ridge Crest
To the opposing occlusal table: attachment overdenture 8 to 11 mm, zirconia 11 to 14 mm, hybrid 12 to 15 mm, bar 14 mm.
From the Soft Tissue
Measured to the plane of the antagonist, an FP1 prosthesis needs 7 to 12 mm, while FP2 and FP3 need 12 mm or more.
At the Implant
A screw-retained prosthesis needs 4 to 5 mm at implant level and about 7.5 mm at abutment level. Always note the landmark.
Photographs Are Not Optional on a Full Arch
Why They Decide the Case +
With no teeth to reference, the photographs set midline, incisal plane, smile line and lip support.
Send Eight +
Send eight images to TrueGuide Dental: face at rest, natural smile, widest smile, profile, two retracted views, two occlusal views, and one with the current denture in place.
How to Take Them +
Let the lips fall naturally for the photograph at rest. Record video for the widest smile and pull a single frame from it.
1. Full Face at Rest
2. Natural Smile
3. Exaggerated Smile
4. Profile
CHOOSING THE MATERIAL
Material Choice Comes Down to Repairs
Survival is close across all three materials. What separates them is how often the patient returns for repairs. TrueGuide Dental keeps the design file for every arch, so a repair starts from the original.
Survival Is Not the Deciding Number +
Across 91 fixed complete dentures followed a mean of 6.8 years, 92.3 percent were still in service, whatever they were made of.
Repair Rate Is the Deciding Number +
At five years, 85 percent of metal-ceramic arches had needed no repair at all. For titanium-resin, that figure was 32 percent.
Where Zirconia Lands +
Across seven studies at a mean of four years, monolithic zirconia survived at 97.2 percent, the highest of the three.
All-on-X FAQ
What is the difference between All-on-4 and All-on-X? +
All-on-4 is a four-implant protocol with the back two tilted. All-on-X means the count follows the case, usually four to six.
How much room does a full-arch prosthesis need? +
It depends entirely on the landmark. From the ridge crest to the opposing table, an acrylic hybrid needs 12 to 15 millimeters.
Can I send phone photos? +
For the facial and smile shots, yes, with optical zoom and a tripod. For shade and for retracted views, no.
Does zirconia need a titanium bar? +
Not always. The bar earns its place on long spans, on distal extensions, and when vertical height is short.
Can a printed prosthesis be definitive? +
Printed resins are indicated for permanent single units. On full arches the published follow-up is still short, so TrueGuide prints them as long-term provisionals.
How often should the patient come back? +
The American College of Prosthodontists recommends maintenance every 2 to 6 months based on risk, and advises against routine screw retightening at recall.