Implant Supported Dentures

An implant-supported denture is a type of overdenture that is supported by and attached to implants.

An implant-supported denture is used when a person doesn’t have any teeth in the jaw, but has enough bone in the jaw to support implants. An implant-supported denture has special attachments that snap onto attachments on the implants.

How Does It Work?

There are two types of implant-supported dentures: bar-retained and ball-retained. In both cases, the denture will be made of an acrylic base that will look like gums. Acrylic teeth that look like natural teeth are attached to the base. Both types of dentures need at least two implants for support.

Bar-retained dentures — A thin metal bar that follows the curve of your jaw is attached to four to six implants that have been placed in your jawbone. Clips or other types of attachments are fitted to the bar and denture. The denture fits over the bar and is securely clipped into place by the attachments.

Ball-retained dentures (stud-attachment dentures) — Each implant in the jawbone holds a metal attachment that fits into another attachment on the denture. In most cases, the attachments on the implants are ball-shaped, and they fit into sockets on the denture.