One of the common consequences of having missing teeth is that adjacent teeth will tend to tip or drift into the gap. That interferes with the way the teeth mesh and creates a whole new set of problems.
One way to replace a tooth or several teeth is with a partial denture. People sometimes call such a device a “partial plate.” It is intended to restore both the function and appearance of a missing tooth or missing teeth. Mostly teeth are missing because they have been removed (extracted.) Rarely, a tooth can be missing because a person “forgot” to form the tooth in the first place. There are many things to consider in creating a partial denture, not the least among them being any potential reaction of the patient to the materials used in its construction.
To learn more details about partial dentures see “Things You Need to Know About Partial Dentures.”
If all the teeth are missing from the upper or lower jaw, then a different device is needed: A full denture (otherwise known as a complete denture.)