Medical Uses and Complications of Dentures
- Improved chewing ability
- Natural appearance to the face
- Support for lips and cheeks
- Better pronunciation
- Boost in self-esteem
- Stomatitis (inflammatory condition under dentures)
- Ulceration (caused by poorly fitting dentures or residual monomer irritation)
- Tooth loss (caused by dental disease, pregnancy, malnutrition, genetic defects, trauma, or drug use)
Types of Dentures
- Removable partial dentures (for patients missing some teeth on a particular arch)
- Complete dentures (worn by patients missing all teeth in a single arch)
- Copy dentures (made for partial or complete denture patients)
Materials and History of Dentures
- Mainly made from acrylic
- Heat-cured acrylic polymethyl methacrylate and rubber-reinforced polymethyl methacrylate
- Cobalt chromium can reinforce denture base for strength
- Acrylic dentures can be fragile and fracture easily
- Pierre Fauchard described denture construction in 1728
- Wooden full dentures invented in Japan in the early 16th century
Prosthodontic Principles and Denture Stability/Retention
- Support provided by underlying oral tissues
- Proper fit and design contribute to stability and retention
- Surface tension, suction, and friction aid in retention
- Implant technology can improve stability and prevent bone resorption
- Denture flanges and posterior palatal seal design help in achieving retention
Fit, Maintenance, and Cost of Dentures
- Denture fit affected by bone and mucosal resorption
- Poorly fitting dentures can accelerate resorption
- Dentures may require adjustments over time
- Costs range from low-cost temporary dentures to premium customized dentures
- Daily cleaning and removal during sleep recommended for maintenance
- Different cleansers and methods for denture care, including immersion and liquid cleansers
Note: The subtopics "History of Dentures," "Denture Retention," and "Immersion" have been included within the relevant groups.
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2007) |
Dentures (also known as false teeth) are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, supported by the surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable (removable partial denture or complete denture). However, there are many denture designs, some of which rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental implants (fixed prosthodontics). There are two main categories of dentures, the distinction being whether they fit onto the mandibular arch or on the maxillary arch.
| Dentures | |
|---|---|
 A maxillary denture | |
| MeSH | D003778 |
dentures
The use of the term dentures rather than the term false teeth was once considered “non-U”.
