Dental flippers are semi-permanent removable dental appliances that help patients fill in the gaps left behind by missing teeth. They are easy to wear and remove, offer a great look and feel and can be used as a temporary replacement until patients are ready for a more permanent solution, such as fixed partial dentures or dental implants.
What is a permanent denture?
Typical applications of flipper teeth for adults kits include patients who need to wait until their gums heal after extraction or bone augmentation procedures. They also work well for children who haven’t completed growing their jawbone before receiving a tooth implant.
They can be made quickly and are an affordable alternative to other options such as cast partials or a fixed partial denture.
The process of making flipper teeth involves a detailed mold of the area that needs to be filled. Then, a technician will choose acrylic teeth that most closely match the specifications written in the patient’s prescription.
Once the lab has a complete set of molds, a technician will carefully mold an acrylic plate for each flipper. Some plates snap into place between the teeth, while others are secured using wires with small balls on them.
A flipper’s primary goal is to halt or slow the flow of saliva in the area to keep the gums clean. This helps prevent recession and reduces the risk of decay. However, they can cause discomfort and may need to be adjusted by the dentist. In addition, they are susceptible to damage from drops and other trauma. It is important to keep the flipper in good condition by cleaning it thoroughly each night, and by avoiding hard foods that can break the plate or loosen the hooks on the plate.