Dentures (more commonly known as false teeth) are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and which are supported by surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable; however there are many different denture designs, some which rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental implants.

Complete dentures are used in patients who have lost all the teeth on one or both arches. The fundamental requirements that a complete denture must satisfy include that it has support, stability and retention. The bone resorption that occurs after the loss of a tooth often makes it difficult to achieve these three basic requirements. Complete dentures are made of acrylic or nylon. The successful acceptance of these prostheses depends basically on the correct reproduction of the patient’s anatomy in the working models and on the interocclusal records that demonstrate the degree of occlusion.

Metal-partial denture

Metal or chrome partial denture is used for replacing some missing teeth. The metal framework of a skeleton denture is a chrome-cobalt casting, resulting in a far stronger, less bulky and more hygienic denture that is specially designed to avoid food traps and plaque retention around the gums and teeth. A partial denture can also be made of acrylic but the chrome-cobalt denture is a far better fit, but also more costly. Implant supported dentures are both removable and fixed.