How do dentures work?

Differently: Removable dentures are artificial teeth (on plastic if full dentures and plastic and metal if partial dentures) that replace natural teeth and do not have the strength or cutting power of natural teeth. Nothing can replace natural healthy teeth. Implant supported dentures are the next best thing.

On gums: Dentures sit on top of the gums and have no teeth for support. If they have enough bone and fit well they work reasonably well.

Adequately for most!: They are supported by the gum and bone below it. This is minimal support, so, the functionality relative to natural dentition is greatly reduced and is highly dependent on the amount of bone left.

Not well: Dentures are fitted over your gum ridges via taking impressions of your mouth. On the molds of these teeth are then used to put plastic teeth on acrylic rims and with them you can essentially crush food not really chewing food.

Why dentures work: Dentures are plastic teeth and plastic gums fitted over the patients natural bone and overlying tissues. The are accurately fitted to replace those lost teeth and supporting bone. The upper largely stays in with a water seal over the spacious hard palate. The lower by good patient muscle control. The upper and lower teeth are set up to work in tandem for swallowing, speech, ; chewing.

Not well: Lab fabricates dentures on models poured from impressions taken of one's edentulous (no teeth) arches. The dentures fit over the arches. The problem they are not nearly as retentive or stable as your natural teeth. Hence, people use denture glue or have their dentist place implants to stabilize and retain dentures to chew more effectively.

Quite well...: A well-made set of dentures can restore most of the chewing function that has been lost. The upper dentures usually stay on by a suction-like seal. Lower dentures and some upper dentures may require dental implants to help to retain the denture and prevent them from getting loose. The quality of dentures made varies tremendously. Online reviews can assist patients with selecting a dentist.

Suction and poorly: Full Dentures rely on suction to stay fixed in position. The majority of upper full dentures have fair to good suction against the tissue, but most full lower dentures have fair to very poor suction due to the lower jaw having a very different anatomy. Partial dentures use clasps or hooks on remaining natural teeth to remain in place. Dental implants can help secure a non-stable full denture.

Not very well: The set on the tissue/bone and move around sometimes a small amount and sometimes a large amount. Mini-implants placed in the ridge (into bone) greatly help to secure the movement and make them much more comfortable and usable.