Bar Retained Over Denture

This implant treatment involves placement of 3-4 implants and the attachment of a customised bar. This bar provides rigid support through and series of clips to the denture that fits over the top of the bar. The bar retained overdenture treatment can be used in both the upper and lower jaws. It still allow for the denture to be removed from the mouth for cleaning. Patients also have to brush the bar which remains attached to the implants in the mouth. In the upper arch the bar overdenture often allows for a horse-shoe design to be adopted thereby eliminating the denture covering the palate.

Immediately following implant placement surgery. Four dental implants have been carefully placed in the lower jaw. Four healing caps have been placed on top of the implants and can be seen here protruding slightly through the gum. The small stitches are usually removed after a couple of weeks. If the patient is wearing an existing lower denture this is modified and relined with a soft reline material so that it can be worn while the implant are left to integrate for approximately 3 months.

After the implants have integrated and customised bar is fabricated and screw retained to the lower implants. This bar can not be removed by the patient and needs to be brushed and cleaned daily just as you would you teeth. The bar provides the retention for the denture which will fit over the top of the bar.

This show the fitting surface of the lower denture. You can see a series of small clips which clip onto the bar in the mouth. This give the denture a great deal of retention and also stability.

The final smile with the bar retained overdenture in place. In this example the patient also has an upper implant supported overdenture.