Many people manage well with an upper denture, which gets strong suction from the palate, but find the lower denture slides around. An implant-supported denture solves this by anchoring the denture to implants placed in the jawbone.
The two main types
- Removable overdenture: usually two to four implants, each fitted with a small attachment such as a press-stud style locator or a ball. Matching parts inside the denture snap onto them. You still take the denture out to clean it and at night, but it stays firmly in place while you eat and talk. For a lower jaw, two implants are often enough to make a big difference.
- Fixed full-arch bridge: four to six or more implants support a bridge that is screwed in and only removed by the dentist. It feels closest to natural teeth, but it needs more bone, more implants and a much larger budget.
Who is it for?
- People with a loose lower denture who struggle to eat or speak with confidence.
- People who gag with an upper denture, since some implant designs allow a smaller plate.
- People whose health is stable enough for minor surgery, with controlled diabetes and blood pressure. Smoking increases the chance of implant problems.
- People with enough bone. Where bone has shrunk a lot, grafting may be needed or a different design chosen.
What the process involves
- Assessment: examination, X-rays and a check of your existing denture. A CBCT scan (a 3D X-ray of the jaw) may be advised to plan implant positions; we will tell you where it is done and what it costs.
- Implant placement: a minor surgical procedure under local anaesthetic. You usually wear your denture, adjusted and softened, during healing.
- Healing: the bone typically needs some months to bond with the implants before they take full load.
- Connecting the denture: attachments are fitted, and either your existing denture is converted (if it fits well and is in good condition) or a new one is made.
Living with it, honestly
- The attachments and the small nylon inserts in the denture wear out and need replacing from time to time. This is routine maintenance, not failure.
- The gums around implants must be cleaned carefully. Plaque left there can cause peri-implantitis (an infection that destroys bone around an implant).
- The denture can still need relining as the jaw changes.
- It is a bigger investment than a conventional denture and a longer process.
Cost
Our current published fee for a single dental implant, including the implant, abutment and crown, is ₹80,000, listed in our online store. An overdenture uses different attachments and a denture instead of crowns, so the cost is quoted case by case after examination. Do not simply multiply the single-implant fee.
These cases are planned by our MDS Prosthodontics department, often with our MDS Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department, after Dr Avinash or Dr Rashmi has seen you. Specialists see patients at Kharadi by prior appointment. Our dental implants questions hub answers more implant questions.
