Dentures replace sections of missing teeth
There are three types of dentures:
- Complete Dentures
- Partial Dentures
In general, dentures help fix smiles, chewing, and biting.
Complete Dentures are used when all the teeth are completely missing. This type of denture can be “conventional,” or “immediate.”
Conventional Dentures are placed in the mouth once all the teeth are gone, and the gum tissue starts healing. This usually takes up to 8 to 12 weeks.
Immediate Dentures (made beforehand) are placed in the mouth immediately after all the teeth are taken out. While the patient can have teeth during the healing process, Immediate Dentures need to be fine-tuned more (especially because the mouth re-shapes as it heals). Therefore, Immediate Dentures are usually seen as a stand-in, until the Complete Dentures are ready.
Partial Dentures are used when parts, or sections, of the mouth are missing teeth. A detachable Partial Denture (or Dental Bridge) is normally made up of substitute teeth, and a plastic base that fills the gap of missing teeth.
