Implant Secured Denture

Implant Secured Denture

Dentures that are not stable or very well-retained can benefit from the use of dental implants to help secure them in place greatly improving function and comfort.  A denture retained on implants is called an “overdenture” and can also be referred to as a “removable bridge”.  This means the patient can remove the overdenture as it is not fixed into place.

Treatment:

Several appointments are required to make the overdenture.

• Initial impressions (moulds) are taken and sent to one of the dental laboratories we work closely with.
• Wax blocks are requested which will help record the way you bite together.  The colour and appearance of the final teeth are discussed with you at this stage.
• Trying in of the denture is the next stage and if the patient is happy, the denture can be sent back to the laboratory to be processed.  If not, changes can be easily made at this stage.  It may take several visits to get the appearance the patient is wanting.
• The overdenture (or removable bridge) is returned and is clipped into place on the Implants
• There will be a review appointment a couple of weeks later where the overdenture will be checked, x-rays taken, and we will be very keen to check that the cleaning around each of the implants is as good as possible.

Maintenance:

Overdentures need to be removed twice daily for cleaning and it is usually advised that they are not worn overnight.  In the long-term, it will be essential to ensure that there is careful cleaning to maintain implant health, as we know that gum disease around dental implants is much harder to treat than around natural teeth.