Overdenture Attachments: Ball & Wise-Lock

Overdenture attachment FAQ

What types of overdenture attachments are there?

The two most common are ball attachments, where an elastic cap snaps over a ball-shaped abutment, and stud attachments, where a low-profile abutment holds a nylon or PEEK cap. Surcam makes both: ball attachments and the Wise-Lock stud system.

What is a locator-style overdenture attachment?

A locator-style attachment is a low-profile stud abutment screwed into the implant, with a replaceable retention cap held in a housing in the denture. Wise-Lock is Surcam's own locator-style attachment, developed in-house, with its own caps, housings, impression copings, analogs and tools. Use Wise-Lock caps and housings with Wise-Lock abutments.

What makes Wise-Lock different?

Wise-Lock has a titanium abutment with a TiN coating, a full hexagon and a separate prosthetic screw that limits loosening, and a PEEK cap. It comes straight from 1 to 5 mm and angled at 9°, 18°, 30° and 45° for divergent implants.

Ball attachment or Wise-Lock: which should I choose?

Ball attachments are simple and familiar, with offset versions for implants that aren't parallel. Wise-Lock is lower profile, comes in angled versions up to 45° for divergent implants, and uses a separate prosthetic screw to limit loosening. Many clinicians choose by the space available and the implant angles.

How do I correct for implants that are not parallel?

For ball attachments, use the multi-position offset version, straight or 20° angled, which can be seated in 6 positions. For Wise-Lock, use an angled abutment at 9°, 18°, 30° or 45°.

Which caps control retention?

Ball attachment caps come in extra soft, soft and standard. Wise-Lock caps come in soft, standard and hard. Both systems also have a laboratory cap for processing the denture, which is not for patient use.

Which implants do these attachments fit?

Surcam overdenture attachments have an internal hex connection. Ball attachments come for the 3.75 and 4.5 platforms, and Wise-Lock for the 3.75 platform.