For persons without all or some of their natural teeth in one or both arches, the use of a complete or partial denture and the quality of the denture used are important aspects of their oral health and functioning. This report of prosthodontic findings from the first three years of the 1988-94 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III-Phase 1) provides estimates of denture use among the US civilian non-institutionalized population 18-74 years of age, as well as seminal information on the technical quality of dental prostheses nationwide. NHANES III-Phase 1 prosthodontic findings indicated that about one in five persons 18-74 years of age wears a removable prosthodontic appliance of some type. Overall, removable prosthodontic appliances are worn disproportionately more often by women than by men, and less frequently by whites than by blacks. Comparisons among race-ethnicity categories indicate that Mexican-Americans are less likely to use dentures than either of their non-Hispanic counterparts. Analyses of prosthodontic evaluation data indicated that approximately 60% of denture users have at least one problem with a denture. These findings from the oral component of NHANES III-Phase 1 provide clear indications that, despite increasing trends in tooth retention, dependence on removable prosthodontic appliances is still a reality of life for millions of Americans.