A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth. There are two types of dentures: complete (full) and partial dentures.
Complete (full) dentures are made after all the teeth in the upper and lower jaw have been removed, and the gum tissue has healed. The denture includes an acrylic base that is custom made in the dental laboratory and is made to look like natural gums. The denture sits over the gums or can be anchored to dental implants.
Removable partial dentures are made when only a few teeth need to be replaced. Removable partial dentures either attach to crowns on either side of the denture or to a metal framework that is then attached to the teeth on both sides of the partial denture.
When worn during the day, removable partial dentures can also be supported in place by dental implants. A two-piece "Attachment" is used to connect the implant to the removable partial denture. One half of the Attachment is screwed into the internal threads of the implant. The other half is connected to the tissue-side (underside) of the denture, allowing the denture to snap onto the implant by the mating of each of the two halves of the Attachment.
As opposed to being removable, dentures can also be semi-permanently anchored in place by being attached directly to dental implants. Modern concepts have evolved where a denture is retained by screws to 4 or 5 or 6 implants. These techniques have names like "All on 4" or "Implant Retained Fixed Dentures."
A prosthodontic practice in Thailand has an Explainer Video that illustrates all of these Denture Options. Click on the Picture Below to Play the Video.
