1. Full Dentures

Full dentures are the full sets of removable teeth and gums that come to mind when most people think of dentures. Full dentures rely on suction and soft tissue support to stay in place. This tried-and-true solution to tooth loss, however, has come a long way from the old dentures of the past. While the basics remain the same, the materials and fabrication methods have vastly improved. Full dentures can now be designed and created out a variety of dental-grade materials, including porcelain or acrylic, depending on your personal needs and desires. They can also be crafted in a way as to be virtually indistinguishable from real teeth to the casual observer.

2. Partial Dentures

Partial dentures (and flexible partial dentures) are dentures designed to fill in a gap. Sometimes referred to as dental bridges, partial dentures are not supported by the gums but rather by healthy adjacent teeth. Successful supports can be created in a variety of ways, including metal clasps and even crowns. Partial dentures are very popular with over 14,800 searches a month on Google compared to only 880 searches for full dentures and 2,400 searches for implant-supported dentures.

3. PARTIAL DENTURES  (Cantilever)

Bridge dentures come in three main varieties, fixed bridge dentures, implant-supported dentures, and cantilever dentures.

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The one thing each of these different bridge types has in common is the use of end supports to hold prosthetic tooth replacement in place.

Bridge dentures bridge a gap in your teeth. However, how the bridge replacement tooth is supported differs from one type of bridge denture to the next.

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Traditional fixed bridge dentures, for example, require the use of crowns on both sides of a replacement prosthetic to provide adequate structural support. The prosthetic is connected to the crowns, which are placed over existing adjacent teeth. This usually means that the adjacent teeth must be filed down to accommodate crowns.

If there are no healthy adjacent teeth, a prosthodontist may recommend the use of implant-supported dentures. In this case, dental implants at either end of a dental bridge prosthetic are used to support the crowns. Implant-supported dentures are sometimes called snap-on dentures since they connect onto implant abutments on both ends.

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Sometimes, a patient with just a single missing tooth may not want a conventional fixed bridge denture or implant-supported denture. There are several reasons you might not want a fixed solution.

First, fixed bridge solutions often require the removal of existing healthy dental material. With a conventional fixed bridge, for example, both teeth adjacent to missing teeth must be meticulously filed down to accommodate supporting dental crowns. Meanwhile, investing in dual dental implants can also be more expensive. In response, some dental clinics also offer cantilever dental bridges. What this means is that the replacement tooth prosthetic is only attached on one end and supported by either a single crown or a single implant. Cantilever dental bridges are an easier, faster, and less expensive solution. However, they come at the cost of durability. Without end-to-end support, cantilever dental bridges can be prone to breakage.

4. Immediate Dentures

It often takes time to custom craft dentures or manufacture precision prosthetics (although some advanced dental clinics can do so rather quickly due to advanced technology, cutting-edge equipment, and expertise to do so in-house. As a result, you may have to wait weeks to receive your permanent dentures, whether it be a set of full dentures, partial dentures, or dental bridges. Obviously, this can be a problem for many who need functioning teeth in order to go about their daily lives.

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That’s where immediate dentures (or temporary dentures) come in. Immediate dentures are designed to be inserted and fitted into a patient's mouth right after surgery, usually following teeth extraction. These custom-made pieces aren’t meant to be permanent. Instead, they are designed to protect your gums and teeth and provide functionality while your mouth heals and while you await the tooth restoration replacement of your choice.

5. Implant-Supported Dentures

Implant-supported dentures combine the stability, aesthetics, and longevity of conventional implants with the affordability and relative ease of replacement associated with traditional dentures. Conventional dental implants require one implant per tooth. This means that a full set of teeth, both upper and lower arches, would require 32 implants or more! In contrast, implant-supported dentures only need as little as four implants per arch for permanent stability. As a result of the drastically reduced number of implants required, implant-supported dentures cost less, are easier to install, and require a shorter recovery period than full mouth reconstruction with conventional individual implants. 

Compared to full dentures, implant-supported denture solutions are generally more expensive. However, the sticker price doesn’t tell the entire story. The comparably longer longevity, higher resilience, better mouthfeel, and more seamless sit all point to a solution that is well worth the initial upfront investment. Furthermore, implant-based solutions actually physically stimulate the underlying jaw bones which help to combat bone resorption or atrophy.