[The application of overdentures in the general dental practice]

Overdenture therapy is recommended in certain dental conditions. The main reason is that remaining teeth or roots underneath an overdenture decrease the resorption of the alveolar bone. There is little information about how acquainted general practitioners are with this therapy, how often they apply it and what potential obstacles to overdenture therapy they experience. Therefore, a postal investigation was made amongst dentists in the Netherlands. The data suggest that overdenture therapy is a well-known mode of treatment. Overdentures are applied in many dental practices but to a lesser degree than conventional immediate dentures. The negative attitude of the patients seems to be the most important obstacle to overdenture therapy. Therefore, the patient should be better informed about the advantages of this prosthetic appliance.