A case report on tooth-supported overdentures: Restoring function and aesthetics

Introduction: Tooth loss in elderly patients, often due to periodontal disease or caries, impacts both function and aesthetics, leading to reduced chewing ability, poor nutrition, and negative psychosocial effects. Tooth/implant-supported overdentures, offer a practical solution. They delay bone resorption, enhance denture stability, and improve masticatory function. Overdentures are especially beneficial for patients with few remaining teeth, providing a viable alternative to conventional dentures and preserving oral health. Case report: A 65-year-old partially edentulous female patient presented with difficulty in mastication and missing anterior teeth. Clinical examination revealed remaining teeth with no mobility or periapical pathology. A tooth-supported overdenture was planned involving root face preparation. The treatment successfully improved function, aesthetics, and patient satisfaction. Discussion: Preventive prosthodontics focuses on preserving remaining oral structures to delay or eliminate the need for future treatments. Overdentures utilize natural teeth to maintain periodontal ligament function, enhance masticatory efficiency, and reduce bone resorption. Despite their advantages, overdentures are underutilized due to cost, technique sensitivity, and attachment complexity. This case underscores the benefits of prosthetic reconstruction with tooth-supported overdentures in preserving the alveolar bone and improving proprioception Conclusion: As preventive prosthodontics gains emphasis, overdentures are becoming more common for patients with few remaining teeth. Unlike implant-supported options, overdentures offer a cost-effective solution by utilizing natural teeth for enhanced support, retention, and stability. By preserving the residual ridge, overdentures help reduce bone resorption and maintain proprioception through the periodontal membrane. These prostheses can also be easily relined or rebased into conventional dentures if abutment teeth are lost.