The two main types of dentures are partials and complete. Partial dentures are used when a patient still has some healthy, viable teeth, and only need a few teeth restored. A complete denture is used when a patient has no teeth left in an arch. 

There are two types of complete dentures: immediate and traditional. 

• Immediate dentures are molded while a patient still has his or her teeth. Once the denture is fabricated, the teeth are pulled and the immediate denture is placed. This allows a patient to get dentures without having to walk around without teeth. However, immediate dentures begin to lose their fit quickly due to changing of the gum and bone during healing. Immediate dentures often require reline to restore fit, and it’s recommended that patients consider replacing them with traditional dentures in the near future. 
• Traditional dentures are molded several months after teeth are extracted and the gum and bone have finished healing. This provides the most stable environment to fabricate a denture mold, and have a longer lasting fit. However, this requires the patient wait until they can start having the denture made. Most people prefer to have an immediate denture made and then replaced with a traditional denture later on. 

Dentures are mostly made from a durable acrylic or flexible resin, and are built to withstand the bite forces generated by your mouth. Dentures can still experience damage, but can be repaired depending on the  type of damage that has occurred.

Complete dentures are held in placed through a combination of fit and adhesive. Impressions are taken to fit the dentures to the palate and jaw as closely as possible. However, adhesive may still be required for complete dentures to prevent them from moving. Partial dentures clasp onto teeth and do not require adhesive to stay in place. 

Yes. Dentures should be removed nightly and cleaned daily. A denture that isn’t properly maintained will eventually develop a lot of mineral growth from saliva, which can attract bacterial growth. Patients are also at risk of developing a fungal growth known as denture stomatitis!

Dentures generally need to be replaced or relined approximately every 5 years. This is because the palate and jaw of your mouth resorb slowly over time. After many years, this can cause a problem with fitting new dentures, because the wearer will have less bone to hold the prosthesis in place. 

Implants are an excellent method to stop bone loss. Specifically, implant overdentures or implant supported dentures will prevent bone loss wherever implants are placed. The implants also provide much better stability than a denture worn by itself.