The Types of Dentures

You may be familiar with the following kinds of dentures:

• partial denture – an appliance replacing one or more missing teeth
  
  
• complete denture – an appliance replacing the natural teeth when all of them are missing
  
  
• immediate denture –a prosthesis that is inserted immediately after natural teeth have been removed
  
  
• overdenture – a denture covering at least one tooth or prepared root
  
  
• implant denture – a denture supported on abutments surgically implanted into the jaw

What you may not know is that there are also processes that differentiate dentures into standard, precision or equilibrated types. Here, the finished denture may look the same, but there are differences in the bite and jaw (upper to lower) relationship.

With a standard denture, you determine your bite, although the denturist advises and guides you in this procedure. When you bite into wax, both the distance and the relationship between the lower and upper jaws are laid. This relationship is transferred to an artificial device called an articulator – possibly a non-adjustable one – that is meant to imitate the jaw.

In making a precision denture, the denturist uses a tracing unit to establish the vertical dimension (combined upper and lower distance). When you move your jaw, the centric relationship is traced with this device. The centric relationship is transferred to a semi-adjustable articulator which allows sideways and forward movements of the jaw.

To construct an equilibrated denture, the denturist uses a face bow to record the location of the axis of rotation of your jaw. This relationship is then transferred to a fully adjustable articulator on which teeth are set up to more fully reflect the relationship of your teeth to your TMJ ( joint in front of your ear).