What is a Locator Denture?
When a patient wants to replace all of the natural teeth in one or both of the jaw’s arches, there are a few different treatment options. Some of these options, like traditional dentures, are removable, while others, like dental implants, are designed to be permanent. For many patients, a locator denture, also called a locator-retained overdenture, is an ideal treatment option, combining the convenience of traditional dentures with the stability and comfort of dental implants. In many treatments, a single dental implant is used to support a single dental crown, creating a one-to-one relationship much like the relationship between a tooth and its root. When multiple teeth need to be replaced, however, this one-to-one method can become prohibitively invasive and expensive. This is where the locator denture comes in.
A locator denture is a custom-crafted dental prosthetic that is designed to replicate an entire row of missing teeth and the gum tissue that supports them, consisting of a pink acrylic resin base and a row of artificial teeth. This acrylic base is snapped into the mouth using fixtures called locators, which are secured in the mouth by dental implants. Dental implants are small titanium cylinders that are surgically implanted into the jawbone, where they function like tooth roots, supporting and stabilizing the dental prosthetic while stimulating the health and growth of the bone that surrounds them. This added health benefit helps make any implant-supported denture or other implant prosthetic a good idea for the long term, preventing the bone from atrophying in the absence of healthy tooth roots.
Your locator denture will be crafted based on diagnostic images and impressions of your oral cavity and dentition. These images and impressions will also provide vital information for the most secure, strategic placement of your dental implants. Once the treatment plan has been designed, the oral cavity is prepared and dental implants are placed. While the implants heal, they’ll be protected by healing caps, and you’ll wear a temporary denture while you wait for your locator denture to be prepared and your dental implants to fully heal. Throughout the process, your locator denture will be tested and adjusted to ensure a precise, comfortable fit and optimal function, and, once the fit has been tuned to perfection, the locator overdenture is snapped onto the locator attachments.
Once in place, the locator denture will restore the appearance and function of the mouth and teeth, allowing the wearer to eat and speak comfortably while helping to maintain the health and structure of the jaw and the shape and appearance of the lower face. Your dentist will review specific instructions for keeping your locator denture and the surrounding area clean; in general, the locator denture should be removed from the mouth while sleeping, and the area under and around the locator denture should be kept clean and free from food debris throughout the day. For many patients, a locator denture is an optimal treatment solution, combining the best of a few different worlds and resulting in an affordable, natural-looking, stable and functional solution for people missing all of their teeth in the upper row, lower row, or both.