Secure Your Smile With Implant Support
A conventional partial denture works, but it asks a lot of your remaining teeth. Metal clasps grip them for stability, which puts sideways force on teeth that were never designed to absorb it. Over time those anchor teeth can loosen. And because a partial rests on soft tissue, it can shift when you bite into something firm.
An implant retained partial solves the stability problem. One, two or more implants act as anchors, so the partial snaps securely into place instead of clinging to your natural teeth. It still comes out for cleaning, but while it is in, it stays put.
At Andresen Prosthodontics in Reno, our board certified prosthodontists design implant retained partials for patients who are not candidates for full-arch treatment, who want to keep their remaining healthy teeth, or who simply want a removable option that behaves like a fixed one.
How an Implant Retained Partial Works
Implants are placed in strategic positions along the arch where teeth are missing. Attachment components, often locator style abutments, are connected to those implants. Matching housings are built into the underside of your partial denture.
When you seat the partial, the housings engage the attachments with an audible click. The partial is now mechanically retained rather than relying on friction, suction and clasps. You remove it by lifting it out with your fingers.
Because the retention comes from implants, the design of the partial can often be improved in other ways as well: fewer or no visible metal clasps, less bulk across the palate, and less pressure on the gum tissue.
Who Benefits From an Implant Retained Partial?
This treatment is a strong fit when:
- Your current partial denture moves, rocks or lifts when you eat
- Visible metal clasps show when you smile and you want them gone
- Your remaining natural teeth are healthy and worth preserving
- You have too few remaining teeth to support a conventional partial well
- A full-arch fixed prosthesis is more treatment than your situation calls for
- You have bone loss in specific areas that makes a conventional partial unstable
It is also a common step for patients who are not ready for full-arch treatment now but may consider it later. Implants placed today can often be repurposed if your treatment plan evolves.
The Treatment Process
01
Evaluation
We examine your remaining teeth, gum health, existing partial and bite, then take a cone beam scan to identify where implants can be placed.
02
Planning
We determine the number and position of implants needed. Attachment position matters enormously here, because retention that is unevenly distributed causes the partial to rock.
03
Implant placement
Implants are placed at the planned sites under local anesthetic.
04
Healing
Bone integrates with the implants over roughly three to four months. Your existing partial can often be adjusted so you continue wearing something during this period.
05
Attachment connection and partial fabrication
Once integration is confirmed, attachments are connected and a new partial is fabricated in our in-house laboratory.
06
Delivery and adjustment
We refine fit and bite. A short adjustment period is normal as your tissues adapt.
Maintenance and What to Expect Over Time
The nylon or plastic retention inserts inside your partial wear down with repeated insertion and removal. This is normal and expected. They are replaced periodically, usually every one to two years depending on how often you take the partial in and out. Replacement is a quick appointment.
Clean the partial daily outside your mouth, and clean around the implant attachments with a soft brush. The tissue around the attachments needs the same care as around a natural tooth. We will check attachment wear, tissue health and fit at your regular maintenance visits.
Because our laboratory is in the building, reline work, repairs and insert replacement are handled directly by our team rather than shipped out.
Schedule Your Consultation in Reno
If your partial denture moves when you eat, or you want to replace missing teeth without clasps and without full-arch surgery, our prosthodontists can tell you whether implant retention is a good fit for your case.
Call 775-323-3574 to schedule at our office at 1601 Lakeside Dr in Reno. We see patients from Reno, Sparks, Carson City and across northern Nevada.
Frequently Asked Questions About Implant Retained Partials
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