This 68 year old lady had a recent face lift operation, which while pulling taught her lower wrinkles, also over-stretched the lower lip, so that it made lower full-denture wear impossible.

The challenge was to secure implants and an implant retention device to help "lock" her lower denture into place, whilst stretching out her lower lip to enhance the effects of her face lift operation.

The lower jaw was extremely resorbed, where teeth ahd been removed some 30 years previously. The chin was pencil thin, and could not naturally retain a full lower denture. The effects of the face lift had made denture wearing impossible.

Extreme bone loss has occurred since all teeth were removed 40 years previously. The result was a pencil thin mandible. At 68, this patient was no longer able to wear or use her lower denture.

X-ray (OPG) shows 2 titanium implants placed either side to central chin. Both implants support a common titanium bar, fitted with terminal locator buttons.

Final implant-supported custom-welded-titanium-bar lying above gum tissue, & behind lower lip; with 2 terminal locator-buttons to formally fix lower denture.

The terminal locator buttons on the titanium bar ‘clip’ into custom locator-O-rings embedded into the underside of a custom made acrylic denture.

Underside of denture seen showing embedded locator O-rings.

With the denture in the mouth, it is securely “locked” & able to take significant biting & chewing forces.

Following six months from her initial presentation, the client happily came away with wearable, retentive and totally functional dentures. Because of significantly improved stability & absolute retention, the denture could be bulked out to allow for natural lower lip fullness, & reduction of local lip creases.

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