A denture that clips onto implants. You still take it out to clean, but while it is in, it stays where you put it.
It exists because of one specific problem: the lower denture. A lower plate has almost nothing to grip, and no amount of remaking fixes that. Two implants underneath it do.
- Implants placed by a board-certified implant dentist American Board of Oral Implantology
- Usually two implants in the lower jaw fewer than a full arch of fixed teeth needs
- Open seven days a week Sunday included
What is a snap-in denture?
Two or more implants go into the jaw. Each one gets a small attachment that sits just above the gum. The denture has matching sockets in its underside, and it presses down onto them and clicks into place.
From the outside it looks like any denture. The difference is entirely in what happens when you bite into something or laugh.
Two implants with their attachments, denture lifted away.
How does it clip on?
Two common ways, and which suits you comes out of your scan.
Studs on each implant
A small round attachment sits on top of each implant, and the denture carries a nylon socket for each one. Simple, easy to clean around, and the one most people get.
A bar joining the implants
A slim metal bar is fixed across the implants and the denture clips onto the bar. This spreads the load between implants rather than loading each separately, which can suit a jaw where the bone is uneven.
How many implants does it need?
If enough implants support an upper denture, it can sometimes be made without covering the roof of your mouth. That is the change most upper denture wearers actually want: you get taste and temperature back.
Lower jaw: usually two
Placed towards the front where the bone is thickest and where there is no sinus or nerve to work around. Many people do very well on exactly two.
Upper jaw: usually more
Often four, because the bone there is softer and the denture is bigger.
How does it compare?
| Option | How it stays in | Take it out? | Cost at the start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Regular denture | Fit and suction | Yes | Lowest |
| Snap-in denture | Clips onto two or more implants | Yes, to clean | In between |
 | All-on-4 | Screwed onto four implants | No, only the dentist can | Highest |
- How it stays in
- Fit and suction
- Take it out?
- Yes
- Cost at the start
- Lowest
Snap-in denture
- How it stays in
- Clips onto two or more implants
- Take it out?
- Yes, to clean
- Cost at the start
- In between
- How it stays in
- Screwed onto four implants
- Take it out?
- No, only the dentist can
- Cost at the start
- Highest
Who it suits
It tends to suit you if
- Your lower denture moves, which is the single most common reason people end up here
- You want a real improvement without the cost of fixed teeth
- You do not have enough bone for a full arch of implants, since a snap-in needs fewer
- You would rather take it out and clean it properly than clean around something fixed
It suits you less if
- You want to forget you have a denture at all. For that, fixed teeth are the answer.
What happens, step by step
- 11
Consultation and scan
We look at the ridge and the bone, and work out how many implants there is room for and where.
- 22
Placing the implants
A short procedure under local anesthetic.
- 33
Healing
The bone grows around the implants over a few months. You wear a denture during this time.
- 44
Fitting the attachments
Once the implants are solid, the attachments go on and matching sockets go into the denture. Sometimes your existing denture can be adapted; sometimes a new one is made.
- 55
Adjusting
Small tweaks in the first weeks are normal, as with any denture.
Living with one
Take it out and clean it daily, exactly as you would any denture, and clean around the attachments as well. They sit at the gum line where plaque collects, and looking after that is what keeps the gum around the implants healthy.
The clicking in and out takes a few days to get used to. Most people find they have to consciously seat it at first, and stop thinking about it fairly quickly.
The attachments wear out, and that is normal
The nylon inserts inside the denture sockets are the part that grips. They wear with use, and as they do, the denture starts to feel less snug.
They are replaced. It is a small, quick, routine job, and part of normal upkeep. How often depends on how hard you chew and how often you take the denture in and out, so nobody can give you a figure in advance.
Know this before you choose: a snap-in denture needs looking after. It is a good solution with a small ongoing cost attached.
What does it cost?
It depends on how many implants you need, whether your existing denture can be adapted or a new one is made, and whether anything needs doing first.
It is more than a conventional denture and considerably less than a full arch of fixed teeth. You will get your price after an exam and a scan.
Credit and debit cards, and tap-to-pay from your phone.
We don't accept AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid).
Questions patients ask
Sometimes. If it fits well, is in good condition and sits correctly against your other teeth, it can often be adapted to take the sockets. If it is worn or no longer fitting, a new one is the better investment, given you are about to anchor it to implants.
It feels like a denture that does not move, which is a large improvement on a denture that does. It does not feel like natural teeth, and anybody promising that is overselling it. Fixed teeth get closer.
Much more so than with a conventional lower denture. The plate stays put, so biting into things becomes realistic again. Very hard and very sticky foods still need thought.
The implants are. The denture is not: you take it out daily to clean, and it will need the usual denture maintenance, including replacement inserts and eventually a new denture.
A snap-in clips on and comes out. All-on-4 is screwed down and stays in. Snap-in usually needs two implants, All-on-4 needs four, and the cost difference follows from that. Both stop the movement; only the fixed one removes the plate.
What patients say
“Having everything in one place with a gentle staff helped ease a ton of anxiety.”
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Related treatments
Not sure a snap‑in is right for you?
Tell us what your current denture does that you want to stop, and we will tell you whether implants would fix it before you book anything.
- We reply the same day we are open, seven days a week.
- We will say when a well-made regular denture would do.
- Ask what it costs before you commit to anything.
Book a visit
Whether two implants would fix your denture is a question about your jaw, and a scan answers it.
Open 7 days a week
- Bring a photo ID and your dental insurance card, if you have one.
- We don't accept AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid).
- Hablamos español.
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance, parking and restroom.
