Upgrade to Snap-on “Overdentures” with or without implants
Love your dentures!
Too often, dentures are considered a second-best treatment option. But at Timeless Dentistry, we have many extremely satisfied denture patients. This is because we know there are many situations where a denture can be the best possible restoration to serve your esthetic, functional, and hygienic needs. While every restoration made in-house at our office in Forest Hills, New York, is crafted to the highest quality standards, the aesthetics and functionality of tooth-supported and implant-supported teeth (such as snap-on dentures or other overdentures) can’t be beat.
Why do you recommend implants to denture patients?
We recommend implants to all our patients who currently have no teeth for a very simple reason: studies have shown that as many as half of all denture wearers report that their dental prostheses don’t fit well or function even close to as they should. Sadly, dentures are a dying art, because they’re more difficult to produce in every way than glued-in or screwed-in so-called “fixed” teeth on implants. For this reason, there is a common belief, encouraged by poorly trained dentists, that an implant-supported denture is a second-class restoration. But for example, if you don’t like the way your lips and mouth look when your denture is out of your mouth, that often means that your mouth needs the support of a denture to look its best.
Many patients can appear twenty years younger with an implant overdenture, as it supports and fills out the face in a way that smooths and reduces wrinkles. For those patients, if they attempted to make a screwed-on bridge on their implants, it would leave a situation that either left them looking decades older or made it impossible for them to keep their implants and teeth clean enough to stay healthy for decades. Similarly, for patients who have lost their teeth due to uncontrolled gum disease, access to all sides of their implants for cleaning purposes is essential. So if you’re able to remove the bulk of your bridge and clean it in your hands rather than having to contort your wrists to use string floss to clean all sides of something attached to your head, the lifespan and healthspan of your expensive dentistry can be many times longer.
Unfortunately, most dentists are only familiar with one technique for making dentures, which cannot work effectively for every patient’s individual challenges. Some general dentists have even stopped making dentures altogether! We respect anyone who knows their limitations, but it just goes to show you that non-specialty denture education for general dentists and laboratory technicians in this country has fallen off a cliff! Here at Timeless Dentistry, thanks to our advanced training in removable prosthodontics, we design and manufacture our own digitally fabricated dentures. For those treatments that are better made the old-fashioned way, we’re partnered with a Certified Master Dental Technologist to make traditionally fabricated dentures. To create a great denture it requires a rare combination of anatomical knowledge, considerable artistic talent, and a substantial amount of hard work and dedication. Unfortunately, it’s a rare dental provider that has the luxury and the drive to offer all of those essential ingredients. That’s why so few dentists really put their all into making a great denture, and it’s why every day, we renovate “problem dentures.”
A lot can be accomplished simply by renovating an existing denture with a problem. Many of the essential faults of a denture are failures of planning, technique, and knowledge. It’s always possible to improve on a denture that’s unesthetic, ill-fitting, or the wrong size or shape. We’ve had many patients come in with unstable dentures that were made decades ago, whom we’ve been able to rehabilitate in an hour or two just by correcting their shape, fit, and function. However, at the end of the day, there are limits to what can be done with certain patients’ anatomies if the denture-supporting tissues have been severely damaged by decades of ill-fitting prosthetics. However, even for patients with ideal anatomy and dentures, the addition of dental implants offers significant advantages in terms of support, stability, and comfort.
And this is not a new or fringe conclusion. Believe it or not, it was almost a quarter century ago that a consensus statement by 23 of the world’s most highly regarded dental specialists in prosthodontics and advanced dental research released a consensus statement that “There is now overwhelming evidence that a 2-implant overdenture should become the first-choice treatment” for patients with no lower teeth.
That’s why, for those patients who want to eat all the foods they used to with natural teeth, who worry about their dentures coming loose in social situations or when they sneeze, or who suffer from an unbearable gag reflex, an implant-stabilized denture is simply the only way to achieve all of their dental goals. Here are just a few of the things that we commonly hear from patients who have gone from problem dentures to implant-supported ones:
- “I can’t believe the improvement in fit!”
- “I can chew again as I used to.”
- “My denture stability is amazing – it stays put!”
- “I can even eat steak, apples, and corn on the cob.”
- “I can really feel and taste my food like I used to.”
How do implant dentures “work”?
These types of restorations are generically referred to as “overdentures,” because they are dentures that sit over implants, teeth, or various types of attachments in order to be stabilized, while also looking as beautiful as possible because all of the structures that support the restoration are completely hidden inside the structure of the denture. Many dentists know how to make one or two forms of overdenture, but here at Timeless Dentistry, our training and our philosophy around removable restorations reflects a tradition of highly technical, patient-specific designs and personally fabricated prosthetics that is alive and well among prosthodontists and Master Dental Technicians in Europe, but has become very rare with the commoditization and loss of expertise around these restorations here in the US. Fortunately for us, Dr. Paul’s mentor literally helped write the original and leading English-language textbook on overdentures, so our doctors have benefited greatly from a wealth of training and experience in this area.
In essence, the philosophy of optimizing removable restorations with overdentures is that every tooth and every implant can contribute to the support, stability, and retention that an ideal removable restoration requires. For this reason, we don’t remove teeth or even tooth roots as a default choice, nor solely for our own convenience. We make use of every dental prosthetic support available. But it would be unwise to just hang on to every damaged root. The key to the process, like anything else in medicine and dentistry that is ultimately predictable and effective, is to match the treatment plan to a patient’s individual risk factors. We will take into account how you’ve lost teeth in the past and the degree of compromise to your current teeth, in order to not only predict the lifespan of the teeth but also provide you with the tools and methods to maintain them as ideally as possible. Of course, we’ll also take into account your goals, desires, and level of dedication when creating your individualized treatment plan. And this plan does not just reflect one point in time. So every day, before we finalize a treatment plan, we first ask ourselves what the most likely mode of failure of the treatment is (for example, a structurally compromised tooth or a few teeth with severe gum disease), then we ensure you have all the tools, understanding, and support necessary from us to prevent that problem. But as we all know, everyone is only as good as their plan B, C, and X. So every overdenture prosthesis is also designed to resist its most likely mode of failure.
Overdentures are often referred to as “snap-on” dentures – and there is a good reason for this. Instead of the denture sitting on top of your gums and applying pressures that slowly destroy your gums and bone, an overdenture is directly connected to teeth and/or implants. In other words, it’s connected to structures that are connected to your jawbone. As few as two to four implants are placed in the jawbone for a complete denture. To assist a partial denture in becoming more stable and esthetic (by eliminating the unsightly hooks visible in the front), as few as one implant may be enough to achieve your goals. These implants then connect to the denture. In fact, the denture “snaps on” to attachments screwed onto the implant(s). Since the denture is connected to teeth and/or implants secured in the jaw, it is not going anywhere!
That’s how so many of our patients are able to enjoy an improved fit and can even enjoy challenging and unforgiving foods like corn on the cob again. And with good care and excellent hygiene, there is no reason that these restorations can’t be maintained for the rest of their lives. That’s why we are 100% focused on creating the right plan for the right patient (Personalized Medicine), and why we have a central focus on teaching you to maintain everything in a clean and healthy state (Primary and Secondary Prevention) – we want to be sure that the design we create for you is one you can maintain and that you can keep clean for the long term.
Are snap-on dentures the same as overdentures?
Yes. “Overdentures” get their name from the fact that they “fit over” teeth and/or dental implants. Instead of relying just on stability from denture products like adhesives, pressure, or suction on the gums, the firm underlying tooth and implant structures support the overdenture. This characteristic promotes exceptional stability, precise fit, good function, and a natural feel in the mouth. This is because even though the dentures are removable, the sensation from implants and teeth that are anchored in the bone has been scientifically shown again and again to let patients feel where their teeth and jaws are in space, and to feel well enough to apply the appropriate chewing pressure, even while allowing you to taste and feel your food better, as fewer of the taste buds in your mouth and palate have to be covered by plastic.
Do all overdentures need to be adjusted like my old dentures?
No. Dentures that are fully supported by teeth and/or implants do not need to be adjusted regularly as old-fashioned gum-supported dentures do. This is because fully-supported overdentures do not continually squeeze the gums and bone like an old-fashioned denture, so the bone is not continually damaged by their pressure. An old-fashioned gum-supported denture has been shown to cause constant loss of bone and gum tissue, necessitating regular re-fitting and adjustment. In contrast, when it is stimulated by teeth and implants, the bone that makes up the jaw retains its strength. When the strength and density of the jaw are retained, the fit of the denture is maintained. So, your fully-supported overdenture or snap-on denture continues to fit well without the need for denture services like relining or rebasing. The only service you may wish to consider is an “upgrade,” where we can always add more implants over time. In doing so, many patients who would prefer to never take their teeth out can eventually get rid of their denture completely and end up with new, “fixed” bridges that are screwed onto implants for the most natural feel and complete function possible.
Why should I choose Timeless Dentistry?
Unlike approximately 99% of other dentists’ offices in Forest Hills, New York, and beyond, our team includes a full-service digital dental lab. This allows us to make 99% of all restorations right here, in-house, and those that can be better made the analog way are made by a Certified Master Dental Technologist whose laboratory is only a mile away. All this means that you can trust that your denture and other restorations will be made to our exacting standards.
We also don’t “nickel and dime” for our services. For example, every patient who receives an implant also receives advanced techniques that include a complimentary gum graft, which utilizes the existing tissue to enhance quality where it is needed most, eliminating the need for any additional surgery. This service helps to support the long-term success and aesthetics of the implant treatment. At other offices, if the dentist even has the training to perform or even recognize the benefits of grafting services, any such intervention would cost you more. Similarly, we do not follow the trend of charging “upgrade” fees for better aesthetics or practices that should be the standard for every patient. Even though our doctors are specially trained and licensed to provide sedation so that you can comfortably sleep through your treatment with no memory of the process, we do not charge extra for laughing gas, nor even for sedation. Yet these services not only improve your experience, they can also save you time and money by allowing us to logically sequence and coordinate all the services you need in such a way that your treatments can be performed comfortably and conveniently in as few well-planned treatments as possible (ideally at one time), reducing your stress, your recovery time, and your time away from your loved ones and responsibilities.
To experience what makes our time-tested approaches to convenient, quality care for yourself, call (718) 268-1561 to schedule your visit today.
Timeless Dentistry is a remarkable practice lead by Dr Paul Springs. Everyone in the practice is warm, friendly and welcoming. I’ve never experienced a practice that’s committed to providing a total dental experience that focuses on an accurate professional diagnosis, personalized care and concern for your comfort & satisfaction. I needed and received implants. Like most I was concerned about pain (which was minimal to nonexistent) and what was the process. Everything was clearly explained and what resulted was a set of beautiful “new teeth” and a smile that has restored my confidence and ability to enjoy the foods my old teeth couldn’t have handled! I can’t stop singing Dr. Paul and his staff’s praises —they are totally AWESOME!! I would highly recommend them if you’re in need of a dental practice. 
