When there are no longer any teeth present it is necessary to construct a complete denture to restore appearance and function. Many people with dentures find them a satisfactory means of replacing their missing teeth; others find them unacceptable. Dentures only provide about one third of the chewing efficiency of healthy natural teeth.

A complete upper dentures is held in place by a suction in the roof of the mouth that is created by its shape and design.  Lower dentures are held in by gravity and muscular forces from the cheek and tongue; a person must learn to use dentures and keep them in place. It takes patience to adapt to a complete set of dentures.

Many people with dentures feel that because they have no teeth, that they no longer need to visit a dentist regularly!  It is necessary for the soft tissue, ridges and underlying bone to be checked on an annual basis by a dentist. The bone and tissues that support a denture continuously change, causing changes in the way that a denture fits. These changes require that a denture be relined periodically to prevent accelerated bone loose because of a poor fit. It is also necessary to examine the soft tissues for Oral Cancer. 

Full Dentures: This type of prosthesis is for individuals missing all of their upper, lower or upper & lower teeth. It is made of acrylic plastic, and is removable. The denture, just like natural teeth must be cleaned 2-3 times daily, both on the inside and the outside. There are several steps involved in the making of full dentures, which involve the dentist and a laboratory technician. Once the denture is made it will need to be adjusted before it will fit and function correctly.

Over Dentures: This a full denture that uses attachment either to endodontically treated roots or to dental implants to hold the denture securely in place.

Partial Dentures: If one or more teeth are missing, it is possible to replace them with a removable partial denture. The steps required to make a partial are similar to that of a full denture. Partial dentures consist of a Chrome/Cobalt metal skeleton with an acrylic base covering the metal and containing the teeth. They  will have clasps to hold the denture in place.

Immediate Denture: If a teeth are damaged beyond restoring, and must be extracted, it is possible to have a denture pre-fabricated with the to be extracted teeth already in the denture. This will allow the dentist to extract the teeth and immediately deliver a denture to replace the missing tooth, so the patient does not have to walk around with missing teeth.