Implant-retained mandibular overdentures: a simplified effective treatment option

The use of implant-retained mandibular overdentures is a treatment option for compromised patients. The combination of using a bar and intracoronal attachments to connect two implants provides cross-arch stabilization, good retention and stability for the overdenture which is still mainly supported by soft tissue. However, connecting the component parts of an internal attachment to the removable overdenture requires numerous laboratory and clinical procedures and the resulting errors can prevent proper seating of the prosthesis. A simple, direct technique, totally controlled by the operator, is presented to increase the precision of the assemble of the component parts and contribute to the precise fit if the implant-retained overdenture. The advantages, disadvantages and the rational treatment are discussed.