Overdentures with magnetic attachments.

Magnets were used only occasionally for dental purposes several decades ago. Since the advent of rare earth magnet alloys, however, intraoral magnets are shaping the course of aesthetics and retention for both complete and removable partial overdentures. Their benefits include simplicity, low cost, self-adjustment, inherent stress breaking, automatic reseating after denture displacement, comparative freedom of lateral denture movement, a low potential for trauma to the retained roots, and elimination of the need for adjustment in service. The clinical procedures involved in their application do not require any special skills, and the options offered by the various manufacturers give the dentist a wide variety of choices in selecting an appropriate treatment plan. Clinical experience has shown that magnetic retention offers an economical alternative for teeth that would otherwise require expensive or extensive restorative treatment, and can be used as an effective and often superior replacement for failed bridgework. Finally, it is clear that overdenture treatment per se is a valuable option for the dentist, and the use of magnets expands this option to the retention of tooth roots that might otherwise be scheduled for extraction. The natural tooth root, even if periodontally involved, can serve as a useful aid in denture support and retention, and should be regarded as at least as good as, and in most cases superior to, an implant. It is also much less expensive.