When a person looses their teeth due to disease, decay or an accident, dentures are used to fill those missing teeth. These replacements will not only help the person maintain their smile, but will also help to maintain the normal shape of a person face and allow them to continue to eat normally.

There are two types of dentures, complete and partial. Complete dentures do exactly as the name suggest, they completely cover the upper and/or lower jaw and partial simply replace a tooth or a few teeth. A typical full denture is made by the dentist and placed in the patient’s mouth. This is done after all the remaining teeth in the patient’s mouth are removed and the tissue in the mouth is healed. This process of removal and healing may take a couple of months. The dentist will need to measure the patients jaw in order to make a model of it. The advantage of partial dentures is that the patient does not have to wait for the wounds in their mouth to heal before their dentist can replace or repair the damaged teeth. Remember whichever dentures a person decides on they must still brush their teeth and gums to avoid gum disease.

Dentures for the lower jaw are more difficult to fit in the mouth then those for the upper jaw. So a patient may need to get an over denture for the lower jaw, if they have a few teeth left. The remaining teeth must meet certain health standards, therefore most dentists decide to keep canines and premolars intact as their root length is long and their position in the jaw is good. Before the dentists can fit the denture shaping of the remaining teeth may be required. This may result in a root canal procedure done to keep the pulp of the teeth intact. Teeth may be covered with castings made of metal called copings. These copings are fitted into openings of the dentures. Copings can have attachments fitted to them so the denture fits better. At times one natural tooth can be left which does not need a metal coupling for support. If this is done the dentist should prescribe fluoride drops, which can then be placed in the over dentures so the teeth under them do not get ruined.

Partial dentures consist of a metal frame which has plastic teeth and gums. The frame contains clasps or other attachments that will be used to keep the denture in the right place. These dentures can be removed for cleaning. They also contain bridges that are cemented in the mouth for improved functionality. They are expensive and require some healthy teeth in the mouth. These dentures may need four to five visits to the dentist before they are fully fitted in place.