What are the main types of dentures?
The main types are complete dentures, which replace every tooth in an arch; partial dentures in acrylic, metal-framework or flexible material, which fill gaps between remaining teeth; immediate dentures, fitted the day teeth are removed; and clip-on overdentures held by implants. All of them come out. Creative Arts in Dubai does not make removable dentures; it offers fixed alternatives such as bridges, implant bridges and full-arch fixed teeth.
Who treats you here Dr. Firas Osman Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon & Implantologist · Dr. Khalid Saeed Co-founder & Dentist · Dr. Kinan Bonni Dentist
Every dentist’s licence can be checked on the DHA Sheryan medical directory.
What holds a denture in place?
A denture is a removable plate carrying artificial teeth. The base is usually acrylic shaped and tinted to look like gum, sometimes reinforced by a thin metal framework. What separates one type from another is mainly where the denture takes its support from:
- The gums and bone ridge. A complete denture rests on the ridge left after teeth are lost. The upper one covers the palate, which gives a large surface and a degree of suction. The lower one has a narrow, horseshoe-shaped ridge and has to sit between the tongue and the cheeks, so it is usually the less stable of the two.
- The remaining teeth. A partial denture uses clasps and small rests on natural teeth to stay in position, with some support from the gum.
- Implants. An overdenture clips onto attachments on two or more implants in the jaw. It still comes out for cleaning, but the attachments stop it lifting and sliding.
The more support comes from teeth or implants rather than from soft gum, the less a denture tends to move when you chew and speak.
Which types of dentures are there, and how do they compare?
General characteristics. The design that suits a mouth depends on how many teeth remain, their health, the bone and the bite.
| Type | What it replaces | How it stays in | Main trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete (full) denture | All the teeth in the upper or lower arch | Rests on the gum; suction helps on the upper palate | No surgery, but the lower one often moves; covers the palate on top |
| Immediate denture | Teeth removed on the same day | Like a complete or partial denture, fitted straight after extraction | Avoids a period without teeth, but needs adjusting or replacing as the gums heal and shrink |
| Acrylic partial denture | One or more missing teeth | Wire clasps on neighbouring teeth plus gum support | Quick to make and easy to add teeth to; bulkier, often used as an interim option |
| Metal-framework partial denture | Several missing teeth | A thin cast metal frame with clasps and rests on the teeth | Thinner and more rigid than acrylic; metal clasps may show |
| Flexible partial denture | A few missing teeth | A bendable nylon-type base with gum-coloured clasps | No visible metal, but harder to adjust, reline or add teeth to |
| Implant-retained overdenture (clip-on) | All the teeth in an arch | Attachments on two or more implants, plus the gum | Far less movement; needs implant surgery; attachment parts wear and are replaced |
| Fixed full-arch implant bridge (not a denture) | All the teeth in an arch | Screwed onto several implants; removed only by the dentist | Closest to natural teeth; most planning and surgery; shown here for comparison |
Names vary between clinics and countries: complete dentures are also called full plates, metal-framework partials are often called chrome or cobalt-chrome dentures, and clip-on dentures are also called snap-on dentures.
Complete and immediate dentures: what is the difference?
A conventional complete denture is made after the gums have healed from any extractions. The dentist records the shape of the ridges, the bite and the position of the lips, and the teeth are set up in wax for a try-in before the final denture is processed. This sequence lets the fit, the bite and the appearance be checked before anything is finished.
An immediate denture is made in advance and fitted at the same appointment as the extractions, so you are never without teeth. The trade-off is fit. The NHS notes that immediate dentures often need adjusting or replacing up to a year later, because the gums and bone change shape as the sockets heal. Many people treat an immediate denture as a transitional step before a conventional denture or a fixed option.
Getting used to a complete denture takes time with either type. Speech often sounds different for a few days, saliva flow increases at first, and sore spots are common until the denture is adjusted. Eating usually starts with soft food cut into small pieces, chewing on both sides at once to keep the denture level.
Partial dentures: acrylic, metal framework or flexible?
When some healthy teeth remain, a partial denture fills the gaps around them. The material changes how it feels and how it is maintained:
- Acrylic partials are the simplest to make and to modify. A tooth can usually be added if another one is lost later. They are thicker to stay strong and rely more on the gum for support, so they are often used while the mouth heals or a long-term plan is decided.
- Metal-framework partials use a thin cast frame that rests on the natural teeth. They can cover less of the palate and feel less bulky, and the load is shared with the teeth rather than pressing only on the gum. Metal clasps can be visible on some teeth.
- Flexible partials are made from a bendable nylon-type material with gum-coloured clasps, which many people prefer for appearance. They can be harder to adjust, reline or extend, and they may be less stable for larger gaps.
Whatever the material, the teeth that carry clasps need extra care. Plaque collects where a clasp touches a tooth, so decay and gum disease around those teeth are a recognised risk if the denture and teeth are not cleaned carefully every day.
What is a clip-on denture on implants?
An implant-retained overdenture is a denture with attachments built into its fitting surface. These clip onto matching parts on two or more implants, either individual stud-type attachments or a bar joining the implants. It is most often discussed for the lower jaw, where an ordinary complete denture tends to move the most.
Compared with a conventional denture, a clip-on denture usually feels more secure when eating and speaking. It is still removable: you take it out to clean it and the implant attachments. The small retentive inserts wear and are replaced from time to time, and the gum under the denture still carries part of the load.
Compared with a fixed full-arch bridge, it needs fewer implants in some cases and is easier to clean around, but it remains a denture that moves slightly and comes out. Our guide to implants vs dentures compares conventional dentures, overdentures and fixed implant bridges side by side. If a clip-on design interests you, ask at your consultation whether it suits your case.
Why do dentures get loose over time?
Natural tooth roots stimulate the bone around them. Once teeth are lost, the ridge that held them gradually shrinks, and it keeps changing shape over the years. A denture that fitted well at the start therefore loosens slowly, even if it is cared for perfectly. The NHS describes dentures becoming loose as the gums and jawbone shrink or change shape with age.
Loose dentures are usually dealt with in one of three ways: a reline adds new material to the fitting surface to match the current gum shape, a rebase replaces more of the base, and a new denture is made when the teeth are worn or the fit can no longer be corrected. Denture adhesive can help a reasonably fitting denture feel more secure, but it is not a fix for one that no longer fits.
A denture that rocks also rubs. Sore spots usually settle once the denture is adjusted. According to the NHS, a mouth ulcer that lasts longer than three weeks should be seen by a dentist or doctor, whatever the cause.
Denture care in brief
The NHS advises taking dentures out every night unless your dentist recommends otherwise, and brushing them morning and evening with soft soap or washing-up liquid rather than toothpaste, which can scratch them. Clean any remaining natural teeth and the gums as well, and keep regular dental check-ups even with no natural teeth left.
Does Creative Arts make dentures?
No. Removable dentures are not among the treatments Creative Arts offers. The options offered here for missing teeth are fixed, and the right one depends on how many teeth are missing and the condition of the teeth and bone that remain:
- One or a few missing teeth with healthy neighbours: a tooth-supported bridge or implants for several teeth, including implant bridges where two implants carry three or more teeth.
- All the teeth in an arch missing, or failing: a full-mouth implant bridge, including the All-on-4 approach, where a complete row of teeth is screwed onto several implants and does not come out.
Planning starts with an examination and a 3D CBCT scan of the bone, followed by a written, itemised plan that includes alternatives before you commit. Implant surgery is carried out by Dr. Firas Osman, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon & Implantologist, Dr. Khalid Saeed and Dr. Kinan Bonni; bone grafting is discussed where the bone is too thin. Full-arch frameworks, including pink gingival ceramic where gum has been lost, are made by Creative Art Dental Lab in the same building. If, after hearing the options, a denture suits you better, we will say so and explain what to look for in a denture provider.
Wearing a denture that moves, or facing the loss of all your teeth? See how fixed full-mouth implant teeth are planned in Dubai, from the 3D scan to the lab-made bridge.
Explore full-mouth implantsDenture or fixed teeth: what decides it?
A denture and a fixed implant bridge solve the same problem in different ways, and neither is right for everyone. These are the questions that usually decide it:
- Bone volume. Implants need enough bone, or grafting to build it. A CBCT scan shows what is available.
- General health. Uncontrolled diabetes, heavy smoking, some bone medicines and radiotherapy to the jaws change the risks of surgery and need to be discussed openly. Age on its own is rarely the barrier; our guide to dental implants over 60 covers what matters instead.
- The remaining teeth. Healthy teeth can support a bridge or a partial denture; teeth that are failing may be better replaced together.
- Cleaning. A denture comes out to be cleaned; a fixed bridge is cleaned in the mouth with brushes or a water flosser. Hand dexterity matters, as our guide to dental care for seniors explains.
- Budget and time. A denture costs less upfront and takes weeks; fixed implant teeth take months including healing. The All-on-4 cost guide explains what a full-arch quote should itemise.