A removable denture that snaps onto two to four implants for a secure fit. Less costly than a fixed bridge and much more stable than a regular denture.
An implant-supported denture, sometimes called an overdenture or snap-on denture, is a full denture that attaches to two to four dental implants. Small attachments inside the denture click onto matching fittings on the implants. The denture stays firmly in place while you eat and talk, and you take it out each night to clean it. For many people it is the biggest single improvement they can make to a loose denture.
Why a lower denture benefits most
Upper dentures are held by suction against the palate and often fit reasonably well. Lower dentures have far less to hold on to: the tongue moves them and the ridge of bone they sit on shrinks over time. Research has long shown that a lower denture retained by just two implants is much more stable and comfortable than a conventional one, and it is widely considered a sensible standard of care for people without lower teeth. Upper overdentures typically need four implants, and they can often be made without covering the roof of the mouth.
Compared with a fixed full-arch bridge, an implant-supported denture usually needs fewer implants, costs less and is easier to clean. It is removable, which some patients prefer. A fixed bridge feels more like natural teeth. Your consultation covers both honestly, so you can choose what fits your priorities and budget.
How it's done at Molly
Your plan is made by your oral surgeon and an in-house prosthodontist, using a 3D cone-beam CT (CBCT) scan to choose implant positions in the available bone. Many patients can keep wearing their current denture, adjusted and relined, during healing. If you need a new denture, your prosthodontist designs it so the attachments can be added once the implants are ready.
Placing two to four implants usually takes one to two hours under local anesthetic, and many patients choose IV sedation. The bone bonds to the implants over about three to six months. Then the attachments are connected and fitted into the denture. Some cases can be connected sooner when the implants are very stable.
Attachments wear with use. The small nylon inserts that grip the implants are typically replaced every year or so, a quick visit that restores the snap. The denture itself may need relining or replacing over the years as your gums change. Daily cleaning of the denture and the implant fittings keeps the gum around them healthy.
You'll receive one written quote that covers imaging, surgery, anesthesia, the attachments and the denture, so there are no surprises later.
