Acrylic Partials

Acrylic Partials
Example of an upper arch single anterior tooth
partial, sometimes nicknamed a "flipper". Very
inexpensive and often used as a temporary
appliance while waiting for more
involved restorations.

Acrylic partials are fabricated with a purely plastic, acrylic or vinyl base. This material can be either rigid or flexible in nature. It has no metal components such as clasps or rests and gains its retention by basically wedging between or fitting around remaining dentition. It can be designed to replace missing teeth on either upper or lower arches.

Pros

  • generally the most economical
  • good visual aesthetics given lack of metal components
  • if another natural tooth is lost can be easily modified with the addition of a replacement tooth

Cons

  • depending on what natural dentition remains can sometimes be unstable
  • retention is not easily adjusted as with cast clasps
  • generally shorter life span

 

Acrylic Example
Example of a lower arch acrylic partial in place.
Acrylic example before
Before
Acrylic Example After
After
Acrylic Example
Example of a lower arch acrylic partial in place.
Acrylic Example After
After
Acrylic example before
Before