A denture is a removable prosthetic appliance that people can use to replace their missing teeth. They are custom made and can replace anything from 1 tooth to a whole jaw of missing teeth.
They are normally made from Acrylic and can be taken in and out to clean. They are generally inexpensive but their main negative point is their movement; they rarely fit well for long periods as your gum and jaw changes so they do take a lot of getting used to and tweaking.
An implant supported over-denture is a treatment available for patients with all teeth missing from one or both jaws. In some cases due to the amount of bone loss, even with bone grafting it would not be possible to compensate for the amount of bone missing. In other cases, it may also not be favourable to compensate the missing bone and gums with prosthetic pink ceramic as this may make it difficult to maintain the correct hygiene for the implants. For patients, the over denture frequently presents as a very good option allowing the best of both worlds: an aesthetic and secure treatment, allowing the patient to feel confident and to function normally, but at the same time, it does allow the patient to do correct maintenance of the implants as it is possible to remove it and clean directly in the area of the implants.
The over denture is typically supported by 4 implants and can be retained by locator abutments or by a titanium milled bar. The teeth itself are made of an aesthetic acrylic, custom made, and with an invisible metal; reinforcement for strength purposes. Patients that have an implant supported over denture can sleep with it in at night and can eat virtually everything they want (including biting apples).
If you want any more information about the different treatments we have on offer please do contact a member of our team on 020 34 34 29 34 or request a call back.