If you are missing some of the teeth in your mouth chewing food becomes less efficient and will affect the appearance of your smile. Partial dentures replace these missing teeth, restoring the ability to chew your food and will give your full smile back.
There are two types of partial dentures. One kind rests on your gums and the other type rests on your remaining teeth. Cast Partials are the much superior ones because the chewing load goes into your remaining teeth. Acrylic Partials do not rest on your teeth. They rest on the gums and the biting forces will slowly shrink down your gums. In some cases allow your teeth to shift and become crooked and in worse cases cause the TMJ to get damaged and cause a painful or embarrassing clicking of you jaw. If you wait too long before getting a partial denture the remaining teeth shift and the bite collapses. This makes it more difficult to construct your dentures and will compromise the appearance of you smile. A well done partial denture can hardly be noticed when you smile and can often last over 10 years if properly maintained.