Overdentures are removable partial or full dentures that are supported or retained by clips or snaps called abutments. They can either be supported by natural teeth or by dental implants.

The simplest type of overdentures are pictured here. The implants have an abutment with a precision attachment. The denture has the nylon piece glued into it and the denture snaps into place. Depending upon the number and type of                           snaps, the patient gets between 1.5 to 10 lbs. of retention, which means a patient would require 10 lbs. of force to remove the upper denture. That's some real suction!

The implants can either be free-standing or attached together with a bar. A bar-type overdenture offers more stability and less denture sits on the gum as pictured here. In the upper jaw, an overdenture of this type can even be made without covering the palate. This is a great service for patients with an easy gag reflex. Patients have also remarked that they taste their food better with a palateless denture.

Overdentures can be constructed on a patient's remaining teeth as well, particularly if the teeth are too weak to be supported either by being crowned or clasped by a regular removable partial.

This particular patient has both free-standing implant locator attachments in his upper jaw and a lower Hader bar overdenture in his lower jaw. Isn't that a great look? His dentures were constructed with custom acrylic staining and Enigma denture teeth to give a perfectly natural look.