PARTIAL DENTURES

• To replace any missing teeth in the upper and/or lower jaw
• There are various types of partial dentures:

Plastic Upper Dentures

• – Sit on the gums, and in most cases require stainless steel wire to hold the denture in position.  The clasps attach to the remaining natural teeth

Metal Dentures

• – Cast metal dentures are made from chrome cobalt
• – Sit on the gums, using clasps to hold the denture firmly in place
• – ‘Rests’ are incorporated into the denture (a piece of metal sitting on top of a natural tooth). This stops any damage or irritation by not allowing the denture to push into the gums
• – A lot thinner than acrylic dentures
• – Stronger than acrylic dentures because the biting force is shared between the gums and the remaining teeth (by using rests)
• – In some cases of the upper denture, the palate can remain open, allowing extra taste, and the sensation of ‘hot’ and ‘cold’