Complete dentures can be fabricated to appear very life-like. Teeth can be fabricated from plastic or porcelain.
Dentures can be supported by the patient's own gum tissue (traditional), roots of remaining teeth (overdenture) or implants (overdenture). Retention and stability of the denture can be greatly increased by utilizing either existing roots or surgically placed implants.
Partial dentures replace missing teeth while attaching to the teeth still remaining. Partials can attach to the remaining teeth using a metal framework as pictured in the photo to the right. Partials can also be fabricated using a flexible acrylic and containing no metal as pictured below. In addition, partials can be custom designed to include attachments hidden within crowns of existing teeth known as precision attachments. This allows for a very esthetic result.
