Overdenture

An overdenture is a permanent fitting denture that is secured by precision dental attachments. The attachments are placed on top of dental implants which have been placed specifically for the overdenture attachment. There are different types of overdentures such as bar joint dentures and telescopic dentures, but they all serve the same purpose.

If you lose most or all of your teeth there is nothing to hold a regular fitting denture in place while you chew. An overdenture, however, fastens a denture to the jawbone much in the way natural teeth are anchored. Generally, the more implants you have, the more secure the overdenture will be. Due to less bone density in the upper jaw, upper overdentures always require more implants than lower jaw overdentures.

Some of the benefits of overdentures include:

prevention of bone loss (dental implants strengthen bone structure)
improved speech (compared to regular dentures)
proper jaw alignment
improved chewing effectiveness
enhanced aesthetic appeal