Difference Between Implant Retained Overdenture and Implant Supported Overdenture?
If you are missing some teeth or even all your teeth, you may be disappointed that you will need to cope with dentures for the rest of your life. With a history of slipping, pinching, causing chewing and speaking difficulties, dentures can be a challenge to get used to. Now, with innovative technological advancements and improvements, there is an alternative to traditional dentures. Following are some comparative facts for implant retained and implant supported overdentures.
What Are Implant Supported Dentures?
Implant supported dentures dramatically reduce or even completely eliminate all the restrictive limitations of traditional dentures. Rather than just resting on your gums, implant supported dentures are supported and anchored by several dental implants, tiny titanium screws, which are surgically placed into your jawbone. These implants, functioning as artificial roots, give the dentures superb structural support and stability, and also maintain healthy jawbone density.
Different Types of Implant Supported Dentures
Although there are slight differences between different manufacturers, implant supported and retained overdentures are available in basically two types, along with a hybrid. First are the removable overdentures, called implant retained overdentures, which can be removed from your mouth at your convenience, such as for cleaning or even sleeping. Second are fixed implant supported overdentures, sometimes called fixed implant bridges, which are permanently secured in your mouth, and are cleaned and maintained just like your natural teeth.
The primary benefit of the removable overdenture is the cost. A removable overdenture can be successfully supported and secured by as few as two implants, depending on the structure of your arch. With this version, the denture tray snaps onto the exposed tops of the implants with either clasps or another retaining option. Since only several implants with a retaining device are necessary, the cost can be just slightly higher than that of traditional dentures. Yet the increased support, stability, security, and bite strength are remarkably higher. If the upper overdenture is secured with four implants, it can also be possible to eliminate the tray covering your palate, which it does with traditional dentures, improving the taste and even texture of foods.
A hybrid option introduces a metal bar to lock your implants together, which enhances the chewing and biting forces distribution. This version of an implant supported overdenture requires a few more implants, so therefore will cost a little more. This version provides even more stability so you can now chew tough steak, sticky candy, and other foods that are off limits with traditional dentures. This option also allows most or all the acrylic palate tray to be removed, exposing all your taste buds.
The most expensive but most natural option is a fixed implant bridge, or an implant retained overdenture. With this version, several implants are strategically placed and then finished with a natural and realistic-looking fixed bridge that replaces an entire arch of teeth. The overdenture is secured onto the implants in such a way that makes them impossible for you to remove, requiring your dentist’s assistance to do so. You will brush your restoration normally, and clean under the bridge daily following your dentist’s instructions.
