A denture retaining system and a denture bar constructed to be affixed in a human mouth, the denture bar including a distal end, lingual-side surface, vestibular-side surface, bone-facing surface andsuperstructure-facing surface opposite the bone-facing surface. The bone-facing surface at the distal end is relieved from the superstructure-facing surface at the distal end by an angle of between 10degrees and 25 degrees relative to an axis perpendicular to a longitudindal plane passing through the linqual side and vestibular side surfaces of the denture bar. The system also includes an over-denture superstructure having a distal surface that substanially conformingly mates to the denture bar distal end when the over-denture superstructure is positioned against the denture bar superstructure-facing surface, and is coupled to the denture bar by at least one attachment element located at a position to an anterior side of a first molar position.