Dentures are devices that are inserted into the tooth in order to facilitate proper chewing. These can also help in other processes like gum protection, speech improvement. General improvement in the appearance can also be brought about through these dentures. They are mostly fitted into the place of missing teeth.

Dentures can be classified into various categories. They are broadly classified into fixed and removable dentures. These dentures are to be chosen based on the individual dental constitution & requirement by a dental professional. Dentures can also be complete or partial. Complete dentures are entire set of teeth that are used to replace either the whole of the upper or lower teeth portion. Partial dentures however replace only a certain set of teeth. Almost majority of the people prefer removable dentures over the fixed ones. This can be attributed to the fact that these devices can be removed at any time other than the time when these are needed the most. In cost also, the fixed dentures are relatively more expensive than the removable dentures.

Fixed dentures are also fitted either to the tooth root or the nearby teeth. They can also be employed to fill the gaps between the teeth. Commonly, fixed partial denture is known as 'crown & bridge' denture. The bridges, once fixed by the professional, cannot be removed by the patient. A large number of materials can be used to fabricate these dentures. Some of the materials employed for fabrication include gold, porcelain, or an alloy of both these materials. Among these, porcelain is the safest method to use.

Maintenance of fixed dentures is very much necessary. If maintained properly, these dentures can last for almost 8-10 years. Due to its fixed nature, there is high probability that food particles can get stuck into these devices. If these are not washed away properly, these can result in inappropriate reaction leading to damage of the surrounding tooth structure.