DENTURES

Dentures, commonly known as “false teeth,” are removable dental appliances that are constructed to replace missing teeth. They are made of prosthetic or artificial teeth that are only attached to a supporting structure, making them removable. They provide the most cost-effective means of replacing missing teeth, as they are much cheaper than dental implant or bridges.

Types of denture:

• Complete dentures – These are full dentures worn by patients who have lost all of their teeth in either the maxillary (upper) or mandibular (lower) arch or both. They are placed on and supported by the jaw and rest directly on the gum.
• Partial dentures – These are dentures used for patients who have lost a few or several, but not all teeth. Partial dentures are usually anchored to natural teeth, gums or through connective structures that are made out of metal or plastic.
• Immediate dentures – As its name indicates, these are dentures placed immediately after natural teeth have been removed. These are used when damaged teeth have to be removed prior to dentures. It typically takes a few months for the gums and jaw to heal and for a custom-fit denture to be made. With immediate dentures, patients can continue to lead a normal life in the next few months while awaiting their denture.
• Implant-retained dentures – These are dentures that make use of titanium material abutments attached into the jawbone. Implant-retained dentures are more stable than conventional types but are still relatively inexpensive compared to implant restorations.

Types of denture Materials

• Acrylic
  • Acrylic is a gum-like material that can be molded according the required shape and design as a substitute for natural teeth. Acrylic is quite popular with denturists and is the usual go-to material particularly for partial dentures, but can also be used for complete dentures
• Cobalt-chrome
  • The second type of commonly used dentures is metal dentures. As the name depicts, they are made of a mixture of two metals: cobalt and chromium. Both the base and the teeth are made of metal; however, the visible portion of the tooth has an enamel-colored tint to it while the gum is made of pink colored metal
• Flexible
  • Flexible materials such as nylon, polyester, polycarbonates and polypropylene are used for making dentures. Flexible material is the most advanced of all materials used for dentures