Have you heard friends or members of your family use terms like full dentures, partial dentures, partials, or complete dentures? Do you find that your knowledge of this seemingly simple-to-understand tooth replacement solution goes from making total sense to feeling all mixed up? Fortunately, understanding the difference between these two options really is as easy as you initially thought it was. Give us a moment to provide you with some essential details, so you can quickly distinguish between the two types of dentures.

Details Of Full Dentures

Full dentures are also referred to as complete dentures or simply “dentures,” and refer to a denture that replaces an entire arch of teeth. This means that you are looking to restore the complete top portion of your smile, the complete bottom portion of your smile, or your entire smile. A full denture is simply a prosthetic made up of a full arch of artificial teeth on a pink-hued acrylic base. The prosthetic will sit on your dental ridge, where it will remain in place due to natural suction.

Details Of Partial Dentures

As the name implies, partial dentures are not full dentures. They are removable prosthetics that will assist you in restoring your smile after you have lost one or multiple teeth, either next to one another or spaced out across your arch. Similar to a complete denture, these prosthetics – also known simply as “partials” – will be composed of artificial teeth on an acrylic base. In addition, they will present small clasps that you will use to offer stability. The clasps fit over remaining natural teeth.