Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth typically made out of an acrylic resin which at times incorporate porcelain or metal for additional structural support. There are two main types of dentures. Both full Dentures and Partial Dentures are finely crafted, custom-fitted. If you properly maintain your dentures they will appear natural and provide a perfect smile. Additionally, dentures help strengthen muscles controlling your expressions that require the support of your teeth, rid you of pronunciation problems caused by missing teeth and aid with chewing.

If you've lost, or are losing, all of your teeth a full Denture is ideal for you. If some of your teeth remain and are healthy, a partial denture may be your way to a great smile.This procedure should be thoroughly discussed with your dentist as there are several personal and medical factors to take into consideration. You may instead be a candidate for dental bridges and dental implants as optional procedures.

Types of Dentures
Full Dentures; These replace all of your teeth, upper or lower. Their comfort depends on muscle, bones, tongue, and saliva. Patients begin wearing conventional dentures after healing the teeth that were pulled.

Immediate Dentures; Immediate Dentures are placed all at once, and may require additional adjustments after the healing process. It can take months for your bone and tissue to stabilize after tooth extractions.

Partial Dentures; Designed to correct the gaps in your smile when only some of your teeth are missing. Metal attachments anchor the dentures to your natural teeth. Partial Dentures maintain tooth alignment by preventing your remaining teeth from shifting. Partial Dentures can also help prevent your loss of more teeth due to decay or gum disease.

Pros and Cons of Dentures
Advantages: Dentures definitely provide a great smile with a very natural appearance. They're made of very durable materials and last very long when properly taken care of. Typically dentures last from five to ten years. They also correct several problems, from speech to chewing, for many patients.

Disadvantages: There’s no doubt that dentures take a little getting used to. There is maintenance involved, and initial speech issues to overcome (these are temporary and last only a couple of days). Mouth irritation or sores may occur, but are usually caused by poor dental hygiene, and not removing your dentures when needed. It is common that your mouth changes over the life of your dentures, so even though they last long, they may need to be replaced to achieve a better fit before they are worn out. With a denture a person typically chews at only 15-23% efficiency compared to a person chewing with their natural teeth. In the case of a full upper denture, the upper palate is covered which can reduce taste of foods you're chewing.