Implant Overdentures
What is it? Implant overdentures are a type of denture that is secured in place by dental implants, providing improved stability and comfort.
They are sometimes called ‘snap in’ dentures or simply implant dentures. When all teeth have been lost in a jaw or both jaws, the dentures only have the skin to ‘grip’ onto with varying levels of success depending on a patients jaw height, width, saliva and level of neuromuscular control of the cheeks, lips and tongue.
As there is no more teeth present to provide anchorage, these dentures can be more prone to instability and looseness which is a common patient complaint. This in turn leads to difficulty with speaking and chewing and frustration with ones existing dentures.
Our jaws once having lost teeth also resorb or ‘shrink’ with time, getting smaller and providing less surface area for dentures to grip onto and sit atop.
The placement of dental implants can restore anchorage to the denture and greatly increase their stability and retention.
Who can benefit? Those who are missing all their teeth but want a more secure, stable solution than traditional dentures may benefit from implant overdentures.
Patients that are having trouble with their existing dentures with respect to eating and speaking eg dentures are too loose.
How long does it take? As the procedure involves placing implants, it can take a few months to complete from start to finish.
Not all patients may be eligible for this procedure and are required to undergo a medical screening for suitability.
How is it done? Implant overdentures involve a combination of dental implants and dentures. After the implants are surgically placed and allowed to integrate with the jawbone, the overdentures are made.
These are designed to attach to the implants for increased stability compared to regular dentures.
There are many designs of implant overdentures on the market, the specific design used per patient can vary and is tailored by our Specialist doctors to the needs of individual patients.
