What is a Bar Retained Overdenture?
Bar retained overdentures are one of the options for replacing all of the teeth in the upper or lower row of the mouth. Used in conjunction with dental implants, a bar retained overdenture improves the appearance and the function of the dentition when multiple teeth are missing, incorporating the stability and health benefits of dental implants and the convenience of a traditional denture. Placing a bar retained overdenture requires a series of dental appointments, from planning treatment to placing dental implants and installing and adjusting the overdenture. Once the overdenture has been placed, this dental prosthetic can provide many years of stability and comfort with the proper care.
The bar retained overdenture is a dental prosthetic that includes a row of replacement teeth mounted in a pink base made of resin that is designed to fit snugly over the gums. These devices are held in place with dental implants, which are tiny titanium cylinders that are surgically implanted in the bone. Strategically placed dental implants are affixed to a bar that the overdenture securely snaps onto, with clips that are located under its base. These clips can be snapped on and off, making a bar retained denture removable yet stable and durable. Dental implants provide sturdy support for bar retained overdentures and other implant-supported dental restorations, facilitating confident, comfortable eating, speaking, and smiling. They also help keep the jawbone stimulated and healthy, much like the natural tooth roots do. In the absence of roots or substitute roots like implants, the jawbone is gradually reabsorbed into the body, which leads to the sunken facial appearance that’s so common in people who are missing multiple teeth.
To design and fit a bar retained denture, your dentist will take an impression of your mouth and teeth and craft a temporary set of dentures. Using these impressions and diagnostic images of the oral cavity, your dentist will plan the arrangement of your dental implants. If there is any gum disease present, this inflammation will be treated as part of your overall procedure. Once the mouth is prepared, the dental implant posts are surgically implanted into the bone, beneath the gums, and given time to heal; your dentist will place special caps on the implants to protect them while the implant sites heal, and they will assess your healing at regular check-ins. When the implants have completely healed, new impressions of the mouth are taken, and these impressions are used to create the bar fixture and the final overdenture.
These fixtures are adjusted accordingly before the supporting bar is affixed to the implants and the overdenture is snapped into place. Once the process is complete, you can expect your bar retained overdenture to stay securely in place, improving the appearance of the smile while allowing you to eat and speak with ease. Unlike some removable dental prosthetics that can slip out of place and rub against the gums, bar retained dentures stay firmly in place, moving only when you want to take them out. Requiring fewer dental implants that traditional implant restorations, bar retained dentures can help patients replace an entire arch of teeth without compromising comfort or durability.