2 implants for the lower denture after 70 (INAMI)

Why does the lower denture not stay in?

The upper denture stays in place thanks to the suction effect of the palate. In the lower jaw there is no palate: the denture rests on a narrow ridge of bone, surrounded by the tongue and cheeks, which lift it with every movement.

Over the years, the bone that held the teeth shrinks. The ridge becomes lower and flatter, and the denture loses what held it. The result: pain, foods you avoid, embarrassment when speaking or smiling in public.

The solution: two implants and a clip-on denture

Two implants are placed at the front of the lower jaw, between the two mental foramina (the small openings where the lip nerve leaves the bone). The bone there is usually of good quality and well away from the nerve of the lip.

An attachment (a press-stud or ball type) is screwed onto each implant. The matching retainers, small caps that clip onto the attachments, are built into the denture. The denture remains removable: you take it out in the evening to clean it, but it no longer moves when you eat.

This solution, the "two-implant overdenture", has been recognised for more than twenty years by international consensus statements as the first-choice treatment for a toothless lower jaw. Studies show a clear improvement in chewing, comfort and satisfaction compared with a conventional denture, including in very elderly patients.

What INAMI reimburses

The official fee schedule provides for two procedures, each granted only once in a lifetime:

Code	Procedure	What is covered
308512	Placement of two osseointegrated implants in the lower jaw	The surgery, the two implants, follow-up and, if needed, replacement of an implant within 12 months of placement
308534	Placement of the attachments on the two implants and of the retainers in the denture	The attachments, the retainers and fitting them, check-ups and follow-up for 30 days after the retainers are fitted

No prior approval from the health insurance fund is needed: reimbursement is granted as soon as the conditions below are met. The exact amount reimbursed, and any extra charge, are set out in the quote given to you before treatment.

The conditions

Reimbursement is only granted if all the following conditions are met:

being over 70;
having no teeth left in the lower jaw;
having worn a full lower denture for at least 12 months;
the denture must be satisfactory: good bite, good articulation, good fit on the gum. If it is worn or ill-fitting, it must first be remade or relined, because it is this denture that will be clipped onto the implants.

The fee schedule also sets technical requirements that the practitioner must follow: permanent implants (not temporary ones), of minimum dimensions, with an attachment that can be separated from the implant, and the references of the materials kept in your file.

What if I am not yet 70? The same solution is possible, but it is then not reimbursed by INAMI. Check with your health insurance fund: many offer an implant allowance in their supplementary cover.

How the treatment works

1. The assessment. Consultation, examination of your current denture and a 3D scan (CBCT) of the jaw, done at the practice. The scan shows the height and width of the bone, and the position of the nerve. The two implants are planned in 3D.

2. Placing the implants (code 308512). Under local anaesthetic, as a day case. The procedure usually takes less than an hour. When the bone allows it, placement can be done with a surgical guide, through a very small opening in the gum, which limits swelling and pain. Recovery is usually mild: an ordinary painkiller is enough for the first few days.

3. Healing. The implants fuse with the bone in two to three months. In the meantime, you keep your denture: it is hollowed out and relined with a soft resin over the implants, so that it does not press on them.

4. The attachments and retainers (code 308534). Once the implants have integrated, the attachments are screwed onto the implants and the retainers are fixed in the denture. From then on, the denture clips in.

Who does what? If you are referred by your dentist, the practice carries out the surgical part, then you go back to your dentist for the attachments and fitting the retainers in the denture, with the report and imaging from the practice. If you do not have a dentist, or are not referred, the whole treatment can be done at the practice.

What to mention before treatment

At this age, general health matters as much as the bone. Bring the full list of your medicines, and mention in particular:

an anticoagulant or antiplatelet drug: never stop it on your own, the approach is decided with your doctor;
treatment for osteoporosis (bisphosphonates, denosumab), especially by injection, or radiotherapy to the head and neck: these change the risk and how the procedure is done;
diabetes, and how well it is controlled;
smoking, which increases the risk of the implant failing.

Age in itself is not a contraindication. Patients over 85 benefit very well from this solution.

Care and follow-up

Every day, take the denture out to brush it, and clean the two attachments with a soft brush, as you would teeth.
Take the denture out at night, unless advised otherwise.
The small plastic retention parts in the denture wear out over time. When the denture clips in less firmly, they are simply replaced in a few minutes.
An annual check-up allows the gum around the implants and the fit of the denture to be checked.

For an older person who is less nimble with their hands, or who lives in a care home, the clip-on system remains much easier to look after than a fixed bridge on implants.

Frequently asked questions

Does it hurt?

The procedure is done under local anaesthetic and is not painful. Afterwards, most patients describe moderate discomfort for a few days, well controlled with an ordinary painkiller.

Does my denture need to be remade?

Not necessarily. If your current denture is satisfactory, the retainers are built into it. If it is worn or ill-fitting, it needs to be remade, because INAMI requires a satisfactory denture.

Are two implants enough?

To stabilise a removable lower denture, yes: it is the standard solution. For fixed teeth in the lower jaw, four implants or more are usually needed, and that treatment is not reimbursed by INAMI.

What about the upper denture?

INAMI reimbursement only applies to the lower jaw. Implants are possible in the upper jaw too, but at the patient's expense, with any contribution from the health insurance fund.

Can reimbursement be claimed a second time?

No. Each procedure is only granted once. All the more reason to entrust the placement to an experienced practitioner, with a full 3D assessment.

In summary

From the age of 70, INAMI contributes to the placement of two implants in the lower jaw (code 308512) and to the attachments and retainers of the denture (code 308534).
Conditions: no teeth left in the lower jaw and a satisfactory full lower denture, worn for at least 12 months.
No prior approval from the health insurance fund is needed.
The denture remains removable, but it clips in and no longer moves when you eat.
The procedure is done under local anaesthetic, as a day case, after a 3D scan assessment.

To learn more about having an implant placed, read Having a dental implant placed: steps, pain and timeline and Cost of a dental implant in Belgium: what matters and what is reimbursed. All the information on implant treatment at the Waterloo practice is on the Dental implants page.

This article is general information, up to date as of November 2026. Reimbursement rules change: always check with your health insurance fund.

Lower denture that won't stay in after 70: two implants reimbursed by INAMI