People who have missing teeth can opt for dentures or implants. But implants usually are for a person with a single missing tooth. However, it is possible to get several dental implants installed if you have more than one missing tooth.  

But if you have several missing teeth in a row, you should get dentures. However, if a person's entire upper or lower jaw doesn't have teeth, go for an overdenture. An overdenture is a type of denture that sits on the gums with the aid of dental implants for support. 

Thus, if you have an entire row of missing teeth, an overdenture can help you regain your dental aesthetics and also enable you to eat food properly. But, before you get an overdenture installed, there are several requirements you should meet. 

Hence, here are three prerequisites to getting an overdenture. 

1. You Must Have Multiple or All Teeth Missing 

Unlike other types of dentures, overdentures only apply to people with severe tooth loss. On average, you should have at least half a jaw with missing teeth. Anything less than that qualifies you for a partial denture. 

However, if the remaining teeth on your jaw cause you problems or are on the verge of decaying or falling out, you can opt to have them removed. By doing so, you will be in a position to get a complete overdenture installed to replace the full set of teeth on the jaw. 

2. You Must Not Have Any Prevailing Dental Issues

Good oral and dental health is essential for a successful overdenture installation. Hence, you should not be suffering from issues, such as periodontal (gum) disease. 

Overdentures rely on dental implants for support. Hence, it would help if you had a healthy jawbone to support the dental implants. But advanced periodontal disease can also degrade the jawbone and cause dental implants to become loose. Hence, getting an overdenture while suffering from periodontal disease is ill-advised. 

If you have periodontal disease, wait until it subsides before you get overdentures. 

3. You Must Have a Sturdy Jawbone

Even if you don't have periodontal disease, it is common for your jawbone to degrade after losing several teeth. Every time you lose a tooth, a cavity gets left on the jawbone where the tooth root used to be. Though the cavities heal over time, that section of the jawbone remains weak. As a result, your jawbone may not be ideal for supporting a dental implant. 

Hence, before dentists recommend overdentures, they first examine your jawbone quality and quantity. If your jawbone is not suitable to hold dental implants, you will have to undergo a jawbone grafting procedure. 

The jawbone grafting procedure increases the mass and density of your jawbone so that it can securely hold a dental implant to support an overdenture. 

Contact your dentist for more info.