denture, artificial replacement for one or more missing teeth and adjacent gum tissues. A complete denture replaces all the teeth of the upper or lower jaw. Partial dentures are commonly used to replace a single tooth or two or more adjacent teeth. The partial appliance may be removable or fixed; it usually relies on remaining teeth for stability.
Improved stability is sometimes obtained with overdentures, appliances that use remaining teeth and roots for support. An added advantage of overdentures is that the remaining roots help preserve the alveolar bone—the part of the jawbone that holds the teeth—in turn preserving important bone, nerve, and tissue that tend to degenerate in the presence of complete, full-mouth dentures.
A two-step system involving the surgical implantation of titanium fixtures—titanium bonds to human bone—and the later attachment of replacement teeth has also been developed. This method was particularly successful with individuals unable to wear dentures because of resorption (shrinkage of the jawbone).