Partial dentures will be very familiar to anyone who has lost multiple teeth in a single arch, but who also retain many natural teeth and have chosen to keep them. While some people might have opted to have those last remaining teeth extracted in favour of full dentures, partial dentures in Yaletown Vancouver have been popular options for generations.
What are traditional partial dentures?
Traditional partial dentures hold “fake” teeth within an acrylic base that is molded to and supported by a metal framework. That metal framework attaches to your remaining natural teeth in the same jaw either via metal clasps or precise attachment mechanisms. Traditional partial dentures are comparatively rigid and rely on those clasps or attachments to remain in place when worn during the day.
Introducing flexible partial dentures
The keyword here is flexible. Flexible partial dentures are made from plastic materials and contain no metal. Rather than relying on metal or attachments to essentially clip into place, flexible partial dentures are slightly fold-twisted into position, then released to fill the void nearly invisibly without any attachment mechanisms.
Why might a dentist in Yaletown Vancouver recommend this flexible alternative?
There are several reasons that dentists recommend flexible partial dentures as a preferable alternative to traditional metal-framed dentures and even fixed dental bridges. The following five advantages are especially significant.
Natural and seamless. Trite as it is to say, flexible partial dentures are akin to human tissue in their ability to fold, twist and release to fit space and without any metal structure to provide support or fastening mechanisms. That absence of metal structure permits them to fit seamlessly along your own tissue.
More comfortable. As flexible in every important way as human tissue, flexible partial dentures are and certainly feel less rigid, bulky and foriegn in your mouth while also being lightweight enough to permit very quick adjustment to wearing them.
Metal-free. While metal allergies are relatively uncommon, flexible partial dentures offer a solution that traditional partial dentures could never provide. Similarly, flexible partial dentures restore the same function in a product without metal, a feature that many people prefer now that it is available to them despite the somewhat higher acquisition cost.
Minimal preparation. Flexible partial dentures are not the only alternative to traditional partial dentures, of course. Implant-supported dentures are the gold standard, but more common when replacing complete sets of teeth than in cases where people prefer to keep the natural teeth that they can. Even compared to an implant-supported denture (full or partial), flexible partial dentures are the far less invasive option since no surgery or implantation is required.
Durable. Lightweight as the plastic material is that is used to make flexible partial dentures, ongoing advances in materials science have resulted in a compound that is at once highly durable and naturally flexible while being sturdy enough to restore dental function and to withstand the pressures of chewing and biting while all the while resisting chemical deterioration.
If you continue to prioritize keeping your natural teeth as long as you can while replacing your missing teeth with a non-fixed option, flexible partial dentures offer all the benefits of traditional partial dentures in a metal-free format that is most akin to human tissue. To find out the steps of acquiring a flexible partial denture for yourself, contact a dentist near you who will arrange an assessment and consultation to address all your questions.