A denture is a removable prosthesis that replaces missing teeth. Dentures are divided into two main categories: complete dentures and partial dentures.
Complete dentures are designed to replace the teeth in an entire arch when all the teeth are missing. They consist of an acrylic base to imitate gum tissue, and the teeth that can be made of acrylic or porcelain. The denture base is made to closely fit the contours of the arch to ensure the denture is stable during normal oral functions such as eating, speaking and swallowing.
Partial dentures are used when some teeth present are still present in the arch. They can be made with a metal framework and artificial teeth attached in the areas where natural teeth are missing. The metal framework has clasps or arms that fit around some of the existing teeth to keep the partial denture stable during normal oral functions.
