Modern dentures are typically made out of plastic, often with a metal base, though this may be made out of plastic as well. The plastic of choice for dentures is polymethyl methacrylate acrylic, or PMMA. Historically, dentures have been made out of animal teeth, ivory, porcelain and vulcanite rubber.
Dentures consist of hardened nubs that serve as artificial teeth and a curved plate, or base, that fits against the jaw. In modern dentures, the entire apparatus is often made of acrylic. Dentures with metal bases typically use a chrome/cobalt alloy. Older dentures, including some sported by George Washington, used gold, brass and lead as the base or to secure the dentures to the gums. George Washington's dentures incorporated his own remaining teeth with ivory and did not contain any wood, despite the popular myth.
