IMPLANT DENTURE
It does not shake as a whole like a complete denture, and you do not need to place many implants as with All-on-X.
Between Denture and Fixed
An implant-supported denture (IARPD) is a treatment in which implants support a partial denture, and it sits between a complete denture and full-arch implants (All-on-X). Our clinic attaches a partial denture with clasps and rests to a bridge fixed on the implants, and the standard is two implants at the canine sites for a completely edentulous lower jaw and four for the upper jaw. If a complete denture or All-on-X is the better choice for you, we will tell you so.
Consultation Checklist
At the first consultation, we look at the three items below on 3D CT and decide whether an implant-supported denture is right for you.
Three Things First
What it attaches to, how many implants are placed and where, and how it changes if teeth remain.
A “snap-on” overdenture fits a rubber ring onto a button component on the implant, whereas we attach a partial denture with clasps and rests to a bridge fixed on the implants. It may be eligible for NHI coverage and there are no snap-on retention parts to replace, but relining the inside of the denture and adjusting the clasps are needed.
Our basic design is two implants at the canine sites with a 6-unit front-tooth bridge for a completely edentulous lower jaw, and four connected implants for a completely edentulous upper jaw. If four sites are available, we also consider All-on-4 (four implants), and for a completely edentulous upper jaw we first consider a complete denture or All-on-6 (six implants in the upper jaw).
A rear end resting only on the gums sinks when chewing and loosens the clasp tooth. We look at the remaining teeth and the opposing molars, and set a bridge where it supports that rear end to reduce movement. If only the front teeth remain, for example, it varies from case to case, such as placing support on the side with more opposing molars.
Coverage and Care
We explain the coverage scope and the time involved on the first day of consultation.
For patients aged 65 and over who are partially edentulous, NHI coverage may apply separately to the two implants and to the partial denture, while the intermediate bridge teeth, additional implants, and bone grafts are not covered. Coverage for the completely edentulous is scheduled to expand in January 2027. For the system overall, see the NHI Implant Guide.
For the lower jaw, the second-stage surgery is about 3 months after placement, followed by about 2 weeks for the bridge and about 1 month for the partial denture, for a total of about 5 months. For the upper jaw, the schedule depends on how healing goes, and in the meantime you keep using your current denture after adjustment. After completion, you remove and clean it every day and have it checked every 6 months.
Before Visit
We reline the inside of your current denture and use it as a temporary denture, so please bring it with you.
Method: A partial denture is attached with clasps and rests to a bridge fixed on the implants. We do not do snap-on overdentures. Basic design: For a completely edentulous lower jaw, two implants at #33 and #43 with a 6-unit front-tooth bridge; for a completely edentulous upper jaw, four implants with an 8-unit bridge. For a partially edentulous mouth, we look at the remaining teeth and the opposing molars to decide where to support the rear end. When we also consider other treatment: If four sites are available in the lower jaw, we also consider All-on-4, but when the NHI coverage conditions are met, some patients choose an implant-supported denture so they can use two NHI-covered implants together with an NHI-covered partial denture. For a completely edentulous upper jaw, we first consider a complete denture or All-on-6. Specifications: 10 mm in length and 4.0 mm in diameter, or 4.5 mm if the bone width allows. The bridge is made as a PFM with a metal occlusal surface so that the clasp and rest surfaces can be adjusted.
Two implants in the lower jaw, four in the upper jaw, and the choice of sites are not values set by the literature but Yeonhap Dental Clinic's own clinical standards. We refer to the literature only to the extent that satisfaction and chewing function improved after converting a lower-jaw partial denture missing both rear sides to an implant-supported denture (Park 2020), and for NHI coverage we follow the National Health Insurance Service guidance and Ministry of Health and Welfare announcements. The expansion of coverage for completely edentulous patients in January 2027 is based on the announcement, and people who have already received an NHI-covered complete denture become eligible only after 7 years. For this reason, at the first consultation Yeonhap Dental Clinic looks at the implant sites and the remaining teeth on 3D CT, and first decides whether an implant-supported denture or another path is the right fit. References: Park 2020, meta-analysis of converting a lower-jaw bilateral posterior partial denture to an implant-supported denture · National Health Insurance Service, NHI coverage guide for dentures for older adults · Ministry of Health and Welfare, results of the Sept. 8, 2026 Health Insurance Policy Deliberation Committee (expanded dental coverage) Treatment results may vary depending on each person's oral condition. Whether NHI coverage applies depends on eligibility, coverage history, and design conditions.
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