Complete/ Partial Dentures

A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. Two types of dentures are available -- complete and partial dentures. Complete dentures are used when all the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain.

Complete Dentures:

Complete dentures are used when there are no teeth remaining in one or both jaws. How well the denture fits depends on how much bone remains after the teeth are lost. There are no studies that compare bone loss under dentures in people with OI to people without OI. The bone loss that occurs when teeth are lost is a resorption of the bone, not a fracture process, so it is not known if bone loss would be more rapid in people with OI. Complete dentures in children and adolescents who are still growing will need to be adjusted and/or remade on a routine basis to compensate for growth in the jaw.

Complete dentures can be either "conventional" or "immediate." Made after the teeth have been removed and the gum tissue has begun to heal, a conventional denture is ready for placement in the mouth about eight to 12 weeks after the teeth have been removed.

Partial Dentures:

A removable partial denture or bridge usually consists of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, which is sometimes connected by metal framework that holds the denture in place in the mouth. Partial dentures are used when one or more natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw. A fixed bridge replaces one or more teeth by placing crowns on the teeth on either side of the space and attaching artificial teeth to them. This "bridge" is then cemented into place. Not only does a partial denture fill in the spaces created by missing teeth, it prevents other teeth from changing position. A precision partial denture is removable and has internal attachments rather than clasps that attach to the adjacent crowns. This is a more natural-looking appliance.

Removable partial dentures are used when some teeth remain in one or both jaws. A denture, typically made with a metal framework for strength and retention, is constructed to replace missing teeth.