Implant-retained dentures can be an excellent option whether you already wear dentures and would like them to feel more secure, or you’re facing the loss of your remaining teeth and exploring how best to replace them.
Dental implants are used to securely retain a removable denture, giving it much greater stability when you eat, speak and smile. Because the denture remains removable for cleaning, it can also be a practical and more cost-effective implant option for replacing a full set of teeth.
For people who have experienced significant bone and gum loss, an implant-retained denture can also replace some of that lost volume, helping to support the lips and cheeks as well as replacing the missing teeth.
Unlike a traditional denture, which relies mainly on your gums for support, an implant-retained denture is held securely in place by a small number of dental implants.
Small ‘Locator’ attachments connect the denture to the implants, helping to reduce unwanted movement when you eat, speak and smile. The denture can still be removed by you for cleaning and then securely reattached.
This extra stability can make a big difference if you’ve struggled with a loose or uncomfortable denture, while still giving us the flexibility to replace lost teeth, gum and tissue where needed.
At Peacock Dental Spa, we use our in-house CBCT scanner and optical scanner to carefully plan your implant treatment in three dimensions. This allows us to assess the available bone and plan the position of your implants before treatment begins. Where appropriate, we can use this digital plan to create a surgical guide, helping us transfer the planned implant positions accurately to your mouth during treatment.
This detailed planning is particularly useful with implant-retained dentures, where the implants and attachments need to work together with your new denture to provide secure, comfortable retention.
We use Straumann dental implants exclusively for our implant treatment.
Katy carries out much of the implant treatment at Peacock Dental Spa and has extensive experience in restoring dental implants. Before joining Peacock, she worked at Cherrybank Dental Spa in Edinburgh, where she restored lots of implant cases, ranging from individual teeth through to more complex full-arch restorations.
That restorative experience is particularly valuable when planning implant-retained dentures. It’s not simply about placing the implants – the position of the implants, the design of the denture and the support it provides all need to be considered together to create replacement teeth that feel secure, function well and suit your smile.
Katy now combines that restorative experience with implant surgery and is currently undertaking Colin Campbell’s three-year Advanced Implant Dentistry programme. She works closely with Mike, who mentors her as she continues to develop her implant surgery skills.
Mike has been placing dental implants since 2010 and has experience treating everything from single missing teeth through to full-arch implant cases.
His postgraduate training has included Cemal Ucer’s multi-system implant course, an MSc with Distinction in Restorative and Aesthetic Dentistry, and The Campbell Academy’s three-year Advanced Implant Dentistry programme, which he has recently completed. Mike works closely with Katy on implant treatment at Peacock Dental Spa and mentors her as she develops her implant surgery skills. This collaborative approach means more complex cases can be planned together, drawing on both Mike’s surgical experience and Katy’s extensive background in restoring implant cases.
Implant-retained dentures aren’t only for people who already wear dentures. They can also be a good option if your remaining teeth have a poor prognosis and need to be removed, including where advanced gum disease has caused significant damage.
If you’ve already lost a lot of bone and gum tissue, a removable implant-retained denture can replace some of that lost volume as well as the teeth. The shape of the denture can help restore support to the lips and cheeks, which can be particularly important when there has been significant tissue loss.
They can also provide a more cost-effective way to benefit from dental implants than a fixed full-arch bridge, while still giving your denture much greater stability. Because the denture can be removed, it can also be straightforward to clean around the implants and attachments.
There’s no single solution that’s right for everybody. We’ll assess your mouth, listen to what’s important to you and explain the advantages and limitations of an implant-retained denture alongside other options, including fixed full-arch implant teeth where appropriate.
Greater stability: Implant attachments help hold your denture securely in place, reducing unwanted movement when you eat, speak and smile.
More confidence with food: A more stable denture can make eating feel easier and give you greater confidence enjoying a wider variety of foods.
Support from dental implants: The implants provide secure retention for your denture and help maintain stimulation of the jawbone in the areas where they are placed.
Designed around you: Your denture is carefully designed to fit your mouth and, where needed, replace lost gum and tissue volume as well as your missing teeth.
Removable for cleaning: Your denture clips securely onto its implant attachments but can be removed at home, making it easier to clean both the denture and around your implants.
A cost-effective implant option: For people replacing a full set of teeth, an implant-retained denture can provide many of the benefits of implant treatment at a lower cost than a fixed full-arch implant bridge.
Explore our smile gallery to see real results from patients who have replaced missing teeth with dentures and implant-supported treatments at Peacock Dental Spa.
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For an implant-retained denture, we would usually use two implants in the lower jaw and four implants in the upper jaw.
Everyone is different, though, so we’ll assess your mouth and available bone carefully before recommending what’s right for you. Our in-house CBCT scanner allows us to see the jaw in three dimensions and plan the position of your implants before treatment begins.
Occasionally they can. If your existing denture is in good condition, fits well and is suitable for the type of attachments we’re planning, it may be possible to adapt it to work with your implants.
In most cases, a new denture will give us a better result. This allows us to design the teeth, fit and support around your mouth and your new implants from the outset. We’ll assess your existing denture and talk you through the options before you decide.
Your implants are placed under local anaesthetic, so you shouldn’t feel pain while we’re carrying out the treatment. If you’re nervous, you’re very much in the right place – helping anxious patients feel comfortable is a big part of what we do at Peacock, and sedation is available if you’d like some extra help to relax.
Some soreness and swelling afterwards is normal while the area heals. We’ll explain what to expect, give you clear aftercare advice and make sure you know how to contact us if you’re worried about anything.
Dental implants are designed as a long-term treatment and, with healthy gums, good cleaning and regular professional care, they can continue to function successfully for many years.
The denture and its attachments will need ongoing maintenance. The small components that help your denture clip onto the implants can wear with use and may occasionally need replacing, and the denture itself may need adjustment, relining or replacement over time as your mouth changes.
We’ll show you how to clean around your implants and look after your denture, and we’ll continue to monitor both as part of your ongoing dental and hygiene care.
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