When your general dentist or dental team refers to dentures, they could be talking about a few things. In general, dentures are artificial teeth and gums that are created to match the shape of your mouth in order to replace any lost teeth - whether they came out naturally, or were removed.

You might wear dentures because you want to improve the appearance of your smile, when you’re missing teeth - but they have a less aesthetic job to do, too. Dentures keep the structure of your mouth working correctly, keeping your cheeks and lips sitting in the correct place, and helping you to eat foods that you need to chew. A set of dentures could also replace teeth that have been causing you pain or could lead to serious oral health issues - a partial or full denture could help you get rid of these troublesome teeth and replace them with something strong and beautiful.

Dentures come in a couple of varieties - you might have full dentures, which replace all the teeth on the bottom or top gum line, or they could be partial dentures, when you’re only missing a few teeth. Both kinds are custom-made to fit your mouth, and should be a good visual match for your existing teeth.

Your dentist might also offer you immediate dentures, which are slightly different to full and partial dentures, in that they will be created before your teeth have been removed, and immediately used after the extraction and throughout the healing process. They’re different to classic dentures because they can be adjusted to accommodate any changes in your mouth as your gums and jaw become less swollen. They’ll be disposed of once you’re all healed up and ready for your permanent dentures.

If your dentist offers you implant-supported dentures, it’s because you’ll benefit from a permanent fixture, which will be anchored into your jawbone like a regular tooth would be. Dentistry teams can use dental implants to replace any number of teeth - and while it’s more common to have them done on the lower jaw, there are plenty of people who have implants on both.

Back in the days of early dentistry, dentures could be made out of porcelain or plastic - sometimes even wood - but these days, your dentistry team is more likely to reach for hard resin, often 3D printed to ensure your new teeth will be a perfect fit. Unfortunately, resin isn’t quite as robust as your natural teeth, so you might find your new dentures could crack or chip if you drop them, and they will wear down over time - you can expect to replace your dentures every five years or so.

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