When it comes to evaluating older overdentures, what is your criteria for making an entirely new overdenture with brand new locators and housings versus doing smaller repairs (i.e. replacing just the male inserts or just the housings)?

I have a patient who has a 10-year old overdenture. He’s had the male housings replaced every year for the past 5 years, which isn’t out of the ordinary. However, I don’t think replacing the housings at this point will improve his retention issues. My impression is the following:1) The locators themselves, in addition to the housings, look worn. Should just these two be replaced versus making a new overdenture? I think the distal extensions are somewhat resting on tissue, but it doesn’t appear to have been relined in the past 10 years, so I’m certain there has been hard/soft tissue resorption back there.2) The overdenture itself is 10 years old. The teeth are all flattened and worn out. I think he’s just due for a brand new denture with new housings and new locators altogether.

When do you decide to replace the locators, housings, or just the entire denture altogether?

I’ll do my best to give you a clear criteria for remaking an old overdenture.

When something is 10 years old, in my eyes it starts becoming a decent candidate for remaking. If there is nothing wrong with it, then of course don’t fix what aint broke.

if:

– The intaglio surface is inaccurate, and it is 10 years old, it is time for a lab reline.

However, if:

– it the intaglio is innacurate, and it is 10 years old, and the teeth need to be replaced (worn down), i think this calls for a total remake.

Further pushing it towards the remake option is that the locators are worn down.

I think this would be a great case to start fresh with everything new (except the implants of course!)