Partial Dentures

In general, partial dentures fit into one of two categories, depending on the material of which they are made.

a) Plastic - These are dentures made of a plastic material termed acrylic. The plastic forms a plate which may cover the whole of the roof of the mouth in the upper arch, or the whole of the lingual surface of the lower arch. Such dentures may have metal clasps fitted to some of the remaining natural teeth to help retention, or may rely solely on a close adaptation to the mucous membrane and teeth to hold the denture in place.

b) Metal - The metal used in partial dentures is usually chrome cobalt. This is a very strong, light material which remains rigid even in quite thin sections. A metal denture usually only covers part of the oral mucous membrane and can be quite complex in design. Metal dentures consist of thin straps of metal and clasps which fit very precisely to the natural teeth to hold the denture firmly in place.They are called skeleton dentures because of their design and they enable patients to maintain a better standard of oral hygiene. They are more expensive than plastic dentures.