Missing teeth should be replaced for many reasons including health benefits. When patients are missing multiple or all of their, their diet is usually not adequate, which leads to their overall health suffering. Although more common techniques to replace missing teeth exist, such as implants and bridges, dentures are still a useful way to replace missing teeth. There are also ways to better secure dentures to the gums with implants. There are primarily two types of dentures: Partials are created for patients who have some or most teeth remaining. Full dentures which are created for patients who unfortunately have lost all of their teeth.
Partial
Partial dentures are created for those patients who still have teeth present. The partials can either be made with a metal framework or all acrylic. Clasps are used to wrap around existing teeth and secure the partials from dislodging. Partial dentures are usually worn by patients without complain mainly due to the fact that the remaining teeth are used as anchorage.
Complete
When patients have lost all of their teeth, complete dentures are created. Complete dentures take a longer time than partials to get used to. One way to increase the retention of complete dentures is the usage of implants. Implants are used to secure the complete dentures to the gums and allow for better chewing.