The Different Types of Dentures

Full dentures

The traditional form of dentures or ‘full dentures’ is for patients who require a full mouth restoration. This means that not enough teeth have been salvaged for partial dentures. If little to no teeth are left, full dentures will replace a patient’s teeth. Full dentures are typically placed at least six weeks after remaining teeth has been extracted.

Partial dentures

When a patient has a decent portion of their natural teeth left, they may be eligible for partial dentures. These dentures are engineered to fill in the gaps between your available teeth and are attached to your natural teeth using metal claps and a gum coloured base. Of the different types of dentures available, partial dentures are the easiest to get used to.

Immediate dentures

Immediate dentures are dentures that are placed immediately after a patient has had teeth extracted. This acts as a bandaid while the wounded area heals and is a good way for the patient to adjust to having a foreign object in their mouth. Immediate dentures are also necessary as getting full or partial dentures fitted may take a couple of months, if not more. This ensures that the patient won’t have to go out in public without a full smile.

Digital dentures

Digital dentures Digital Dentures are the latest technology used to construct a Denture. As digital design and manufacture is a more accurate process, better clinical records of the patients mouth is required.  The patient’s clinical records are scanned and turned into a digital file. The Dentures are designed on a computer using powerful software packages, 3D Printers are used to make a trial set of dentures which are placed in the mouth for the patient and Prosthetist to evaluate.

The final denture is then made by a computer controlled Milling Process to produce the most accurately fitting denture possible to date. If the dentures are lost or damaged the digital design is stored on file which means an exact copy can be remade.