A denture is a removable alternative for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. Dentures usually come in two types viz. complete and partial. Complete dentures are used when all the teeth are missing, and partial are used when some natural teeth are present.

Flexible Dentures

Flexible partial dentures are the latest addition in advanced restorative dentistry. These are flexible and aesthetically pleasing than traditional dentures. They are great alternatives for patients who prefer removable dentures over fixed restorations such as dental bridges or implants. The base of such a denture is flexible (giving it the name), which makes it easy to adapt to the constant movement inside the mouth.

Complete Dentures

Complete dentures are either immediate or conventional.

conventional denture is placed about 8-12 weeks after the teeth have been removed, when the gum tissue has finished healing.

An immediate denture, on the other hand, is made well in advance and placed in the mouth immediately after the teeth are removed. While an advantage this provides is that the patient does not have to be without dentures during the gum healing process after teeth removal, a disadvantage is that, because the gums and bones are prone to shrinking during the healing process, many adjustments have to be made to the immediate dentures constantly so that they stay in place.

Immediate dentures can (and it is recommended that they only) serve as a temporary solution till conventional dentures are ready.

Partial Dentures

A removable partial denture or bridge usually consists of replacement teeth attached to a pink (gum coloured) plastic base, which sometimes maybe connected by metal framework that holds that denture in place inside the mouth. These dentures are used when one or more natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw.