A plate? A bridge? A partial?What is it?

The above questions refer to a prosthesis. A prosthesis is a replacement for a lost body part. A plate, bridge and partial are all names for a removable dental prosthesis. A plate could be a removable partial denture that replaces one or more teeth in a patient’s jaw. It could also refer to a complete denture that replaces all the teeth in a jaw.

The word bridge in terms of a dental prosthesis sometimes is used to refer to all of the above. Most dentists consider a bridge to be a non-removable or fixed prosthesis.

There is uniform understanding that a partial or partial plate refers to a removable prosthesis that replaces some but not all the teeth in an arch.