Complete and removable partial dentures
A well-made set of dentures restores the ability to eat, speak, and smile without a second thought. But no one should wear them for the first time without being told three things: what are the first weeks like, why the bottom one is the difficult one, and what an international consensus says that almost no clinic mentions. Here are the three — and everything else.
Treatments with flexible financing — detailed conditions in writing at the clinic.
Quick summary
The word "prosthesis" covers two different situations. Locate yours and this page will take you to what interests you.
Your removable option is the complete denturea base that covers the gum (and the palate, above) with teeth mounted on it. It is held in place by a fine adaptation to your anatomy. Read more at the complete one — including the part that nobody tells about the lower one.
Your removable option is the partial denture, which anchors to the teeth you still have. There are three families with important differences — and it is also worth comparing it with the fixed bridge and the implants. Go straight to the partial denture.
The upper denture holds better, and it's no coincidence: the palate provides a large surface area where the base creates a suction effect. Down below, there is no palate — just a narrow horseshoe of gum, with the tongue pushing from the inside and the cheek from the outside every time you speak or eat.
And there is a fact that almost no one tells: the lower bone ridge resorbs about four times faster than the upper one. It was measured by Tallgren's classic study (1972) following denture wearers for 25 years: about 9–10 mm of height lost below versus about 2.5–3 mm above, with great individual variation. The site where your lower denture rests literally gets smaller over the years.
That is why we say it so clearly: If your lower denture moves, you are not doing it wrong. It is physical and it is bone. And precisely because it is physical and bone, real solutions exist — the first of which has its own name and its own section, right below.
What almost no one tells you
Since 2002 there has been an international consensus — the McGill consensus, reaffirmed in York in 2009 — which states something uncomfortable for the sector: for an edentulous jaw, the conventional complete denture It should not be the only treatment offered. The recommended minimum standard is two implants that they secure the lower denture with attachments.
The resulting overdenture remains removable: it comes out for cleaning, just like before. The difference is that it stays still when chewing and speaking — exactly what a conventional lower [denture] cannot promise regarding a receding bone. Studies comparing both options find improvements in satisfaction, quality of life, and chewing ability.
And now the other half, which also has to be said: the attachments wear out. Its retention parts are replaced periodically — it's normal maintenance, and it should be included in the conversation with the quotation in hand, not pop up afterwards. In the upper jaw, the anatomy usually requires a minimum of four implants, so the rule of two is specific to the mandible.
We are telling you this as information you are entitled to, not as pressure: the decision is yours, and a well-made conventional denture remains a dignified option. If you want to explore the path of implants, start by our implants page — and if what you are looking for is directly a fixed arch, for the All-on-4 method.
All three replace teeth and are taken out to sleep. That's where the similarities end.
| Appearance | Metal framework | Acrylic (resin) | Flexible (nylon) |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it rests on | On your teeth, with rests and clasps — the load goes to the roots | On the gum — the load goes to the mucosa | On the gum, without rigid supports |
| Stability | The best of the three | Medium — tends to sink over the years | Loose at the free ends (when back molars are missing) |
| Can it be relined? | Yes | Yes, easily | No — when the gum changes, it remakes itself |
| Can it be repaired? | Yes | Easily | With difficulty |
| Typical role | Long-term removable solution | Transition, immediate post-extraction, or budget-friendly | Concrete cases where the aesthetics of the hooks rule |
The flexible one is the one that leaves the best first impression: thin, comfortable, with no metal in sight. What you need to know before choosing it is that it cannot be relined — when your gum changes, it doesn't adjust: it remakes itself — and that the published evidence on it is scarce: a literature review found only nine studies, all of low level, with eleven patients in total. We are not saying it is bad; we are saying that much less is known about it than about the skeletal [type], and that is also part of the price.
A warning we always give with the skeleton: The teeth that carry the clasps accumulate more plaque than the rest —literature on partials repeats it study after study. The denture comes out for cleaning, and those teeth are brushed separately, every day, with professional cleaning at the pace your risk dictates. Caring for the abutments is caring for the prosthesis.
How we work
Condition of the gums, bone, and remaining teeth. X-ray if applicable, and the full discussion of options — removable, overdenture, fixed — with a written quotation.
Accurate record of your anatomy and how your jaws close. Half the retention of the denture depends on the fidelity of this step.
The teeth are set in wax first and you try them on: colour, shape, position, and how they look when you speak. Whatever is not convincing is changed now, not later.
The definitive prosthesis is placed, the fit and bite are checked, and we explain how to handle it: putting it on, taking it off, cleaning it, and what to expect the first few days.
Two, three, or four adjustment appointments in the first weeks are normal, and here they are considered part of the treatment. A rubbing spot is not something you endure at home: it is adjusted in minutes.
Even if it doesn't bother you at all: the fit, wear, and—above all—the gums and the mucosa underneath are checked, which is where silent problems appear.
The first weeks are strange, and we prefer that you hear it from us. You will notice the denture feels big — it isn't; it's your mouth recalibrating —, you will produce more saliva than usual, some words will sound different, and chewing will have to be relearned starting with soft foods, cut small, distributed to both sides.
Typical timeframes, with normal variation between individuals: speak naturally, in two to four weeks (read aloud very fast); eat easily, in four to six; and the full adaptation can take about three months. Friction points are also normal: they are not a flaw, they are information—they point out exactly where the base needs to be adjusted.
What is not normal is putting up with a sore for weeks. If something rubs after a few days, it gets adjusted — in minutes and without drama. That's what the included adjustment appointments are for, and that's what we are a WhatsApp away for.
Out at night. It is not a dentist's obsession. In a study published in the Journal of Dental Research (Iinuma et al., 2015), in adults over 85 years of age, sleeping with dentures on was associated with twice the risk of pneumonia. It is an observational study and in a very specific age group—do not read it as a threat, but as a compelling reason to take them out, brush them, and let them rest in water while the gums breathe.
No toothpaste. The paste is formulated to polish enamel and scratches acrylic, which is much softer. The scratches are not visible, but plaque, stains, and fungi cling to them. A specific denture brush and neutral soap or denture cleaner — and effervescent tablets according to their instructions, without endless soaking in aggressive products.
Check-up once a year, even if nothing hurts. The fit is checked and the underlying mucosa is examined. Inflammation beneath a denture (denture stomatitis) is common in those who wear them constantly or do not clean them well—and it usually resolves with hygiene, nighttime rest, and some adjustment. Detecting it early is precisely what that appointment is for.
A prosthesis does not age because it breaks down. It ages because The resting point changes shapethe bone resorbs year after year — in the jaw, much faster, as you saw above. That's why a denture that fit perfectly five years ago is loose today. The answer isn't clenching your teeth or applying more adhesive: it's an reline — readapting the inner surface to the bone you have now. It's predictable maintenance every few years, not an unforeseen issue, and explained from the beginning, no one gets upset.
About the glue, let's be fair: it is not the enemy. Used properly — in a thin layer — it improves hold and confidence while eating, and studies back this up. The problem is when it stops being a help and becomes a quick fix: if you need to apply it two or three times a day, or in increasing amounts, the glue is not solving the problem — it's giving you a warning. That denture needs an adjustment, a reline, or an evaluation of the underlying bone. Bring it in and we'll take a look at it: it's usually fixed with less than people fear.
One more practical note: zinc-containing adhesives, when used in excess, have been linked to adverse effects—another reason to treat the cause of the movement instead of covering it up every morning.
In Los Cristianos, this is an everyday occurrence: a set of dentures made years ago in the United Kingdom, Germany, or the Iberian Peninsula, that no longer fit as well as they used to—and no one wants to fly out to have them fixed. The short answer: Yes, we work on dentures made elsewhere.
What can be done depends on the condition: a rubbing spot is adjusted the same day; a rocking base usually admits a reline (if the material allows—remember, flexible ones do not); a detached tooth is often repaired; and when the base has become too short for the current bone, the honest thing is to tell you that it's time to replace it, with the quotation right in front of you. First it's evaluated, then it's decided — and the entire conversation can be in Spanish or English, with your written report for your dentist back home if you want.
And the complete ladder, so you know it: partial acrylic → removable partial (skeletal) → conventional complete → implant-retained overdenture → All-on-4 fixed arch. You don't need to climb all of it. You need to know that it exists, in order to choose the step you want to be on — and not get stuck on one without anyone telling you about the rest.
Transparency
Dental prosthesis
From €1,200
Or from €60/month
The fee depends on the type of prosthesis and the financing plan. We provide you in writing with the total price, materials, check-ups, and adjustments included.
Indicative price. The final quotation depends on the clinical evaluation and is provided in writing before starting treatment.
The factors that drive the budget: complete or partial, the material (skeletal, acrylic, flexible), if one is needed immediate provisional behind extractions, yes there is previous extractions, and — in overdentures — the number of implants and their attachments. You can check our estimated prices in the pricing page.
Flexible financing available; detailed conditions in writing at the clinic.
Frequently asked questions
Most speak naturally in two to four weeks and eat with ease in four to six; complete adaptation can take about three months. Increased saliva, a sensation of a lump, and some chafing at first are a normal part of the process—and adjustment appointments are there for that.
Because there is no palate below to create suction, and because the lower bone ridge resorbs about four times faster than the upper one. You are not doing it wrong: it's anatomy. A reline usually improves it, and two implants with attachments—the minimum standard of the McGill consensus—will keep it still.
It is recommended to take it out at night: the gum needs to rest, and sleeping with it has been associated in studies with more plaque, more inflammation, and—in people over 85—a higher risk of pneumonia. Out, brushed, and in water while you sleep.
There is no fixed timeframe: it depends on how your bone changes. The sign is the loss of fit — it wobbles more, food gets underneath, you need more adhesive. During the annual check-up, it is checked and, when the time comes, the reline readapts the base without making a new denture.
An occasional thin layer is legitimate support. Needing it several times a day, or in increasing amounts, is a sign that the denture no longer fits: what it needs is an adjustment or a reline, not more adhesive. Bring it in and we will evaluate it.
The partial denture with a metal framework rests on your teeth, which gives it the best stability; the resin one rests on the gum, is bulkier, and is usually used as a temporary or economical solution. Both can be relined and repaired — the flexible nylon one, on the other hand, cannot be relined.
In many cases, yes — from two implants to support your current or a new denture, to a fixed arch. The key is the available bone, which is evaluated with an X-ray. The sooner it is planned, the more options there usually are, because bone diminishes over the years.
Yes. Adjustments and repairs can usually be done here, and many relines as well, depending on the material. First, we evaluate it and tell you clearly what can be salvaged and what cannot — in Spanish or English, with a report for your home dentist if you want one.
First visit
Bring your current prosthesis if you have it — we will check it, tell you what can be improved, and give you all the options with a written quotation. Write to us and we will call you to schedule an appointment.
