Dentures are used in place of missing teeth as a removable replacement. They can be removed and placed back in the mouth as and when needed. Depending on every patient and their needs, these dentures are either complete or partial. The full dentures replace the entire set of the natural teeth that are removed and then replaced with dentures while the partial dentures are in place of one or more natural teeth.

Full Dentures
There are two kinds of full dentures: Immediate Full Dentures and Conventional Full Dentures.

Immediate Full Dentures
The dentist takes measurements before having the teeth removed. The dentures are placed in your mouth immediately after removing the teeth. The advantage here is that one need not go without teeth at any time. However, you may need to visit your dentist for a follow up as the jaw bone will change slightly as the gums and mouth heal. Once the jaw bone gets healed completely, the dentures may need to be tightened and adjusted.

Conventional Full Dentures
In this case, the entire teeth are extracted and tissue is given time to get healed completely before placing the dentures. The gum tissue may take a couple of months to heal and the patient may remain without teeth during this period.

Partial dentures
The Partial dentures are made and used in the same way, except they cover a smaller area as there is no need to remove the complete row of teeth. These are not fixed permanently in the mouth and are similar to a bridge. The Partial dentures are easy to fit and are fixed to teeth with special clips.

It may take some time to get used to your dentures as the flesh colored base of the dentures is supported by your gums. Some people feel it to be a little heavy while others might find them loose. You may feel a bit uncomfortable when eating and speaking with your dentures on. But with time, you start getting used to them and they feel more like your natural teeth. However, you may never feel 100% comfortable with them. But they are the most suitable alternative for those with missing teeth.

Those dentures may not be real teeth, but you should keep them clean and take good care for them. It is important to remove the food particles and plaque. You should brush them properly after using them and place them in a denture cleaning solution at room temperature. Do not use hot water as the metal in the dentures can get warped. As the dentures are delicate, handle them with care and caution or you could ruin them. Do not try to adjust the dentures yourself and always go to your dentist for any help, in case you feel uncomfortable.