Dentures are used to replace missing teeth. With today’s technology, dentures look more natural and are custom designed to fit comfortably and stay in place. Dentures are used to maintain normal chewing, bite, speech and the appearance of the upper and lower jaws providing lip support. Dentures can also be used cosmetically to replace a single, or couple of teeth.
There are many different types of dentures available to suit a variety of different dental needs. Dentures can be made of acrylic or metal.
Partial Denture: A partial denture is made to replace a few missing teeth. To hold a partial denture in place, clasps are used to secure the denture to the teeth. Theses clasp are usually placed at the back where possible so they are not as visible.
Full Denture: A full denture is used when all of the teeth are missing. It is usually made from acrylic and is suitable for both upper and lower jaws.
Immediate Denture: An immediate denture is made prior to the remaining teeth being extracted, so that it can be inserted immediately at the same appointment that the teeth are removed. The advantage of an immediate denture is that the patient avoids a period without teeth.
Over-denture: An over denture is a denture that actually fits over the top of remaining teeth, or roots that have had root canal treatment, or fits over and is attached to dental implants. The remaining teeth or dental implants act as anchors to secure it in place.