Implant Overdenture

“Snap-On” Dentures

This type of denture, which we also offer in our Charlotte dental office, is sometimes also called an dental implant overdenture.  Sometimes it’s referred to by the name of the attachments used to support it, such as a Locator overdenture.  The key point to remember for these, is that they can be taken out and put in.  If you’re more interested in something that stays in all the time, check out All-on-4 Screw-Retained Dentures or Implant-Supported Dental Bridges.

How Do Implant-Supported Overdentures Work?

On the lower jaw, this can be done with just 2 dental implants, although 3 or 4 will give you even more security and peace of mind.  On the upper jaw, we always need 4 implants to do this. Once the implants have healed, we place attachments onto the top of the implants.  They’re like a ball-and-socket, so the ball on top of the implant snaps into the socket that’s inside the denture.  They’re nice and snug and will keep the dentures from falling out.  With just 2 implants, you do still have to be careful when biting into hard or tough foods with your front teeth.  With 4 implants, you can really eat, and bite into, almost anything you’d like.

Here’s a patient of ours, for whom we did an upper complete denture, 4 lower dental implants, and an implant overdenture.  It’s my cousin Rich, and you can read about his case on our blog.

Dental implant overdentures by Charlotte dentist Dr. Payet

How Should You Take Care of an Implant Overdenture?

Just because you no longer have teeth, doesn’t mean you don’t still need to see us regularly.  Don’t think you’re getting off that easily!  LOL  Follow this link to learn how to take care of your overdentures at home, with lots of product recommendations.  No, we don’t make any money if you buy through the links, I promise.

  • The socket pieces inside the denture  replaced every 6-12 months, depending on how tough you are on them.  This is usually a 20-30 minute visit with us.
  • Please take your overdentures out at night, just as we recommend you do with regular dentures.  Leaving them in for long periods allows the growth of bacteria and even fungus under them, and the gums will become very red and inflamed.
  • Do NOT use Efferdent more than once a week with overdentures!  Once every couple weeks should be plenty.  Efferdent’s detergents make the attachments inside the denture break down faster, so you’ll need them replaced more often.
  • Please see us every 6 months for a short check-up visit.  At this visit, we still do a thorough exam of your mouth, to make sure that you’re not developing any oral cancers or ulcers.  Small adjustments at these visits are often at no additional charge, but if the denture needs real adjustments to improve fit or comfort, there will be a fee.  We need to make sure the bone isn’t shrinking too much and causing the denture to rock on the attachments, which will make them wear out faster.

Is this the kind of smile and confidence you want? 

Give us a Call or Request an Appointment for a Complimentary Consult. 

It’s that easy to start.