Flexible Dentures

When you lose multiple natural teeth, your treatment options are limited to dental implants or dentures.
Dentures are composed of acrylic, chromium-cobalt meshwork, or a combination of both, which serve as a base for attaching the artificial teeth. The artificial teeth are crafted from porcelain to ensure a natural-looking appearance.
Dentures are the most popular solution for restoring multiple or complete arches of missing teeth; however, they can present various issues that some patients find intolerable.
Flexible dentures entered the field of dental prosthodontics to provide an alternative to conventional dentures.
At Dulwich Dental Office, we integrate the latest proven technologies into our treatment options to provide our patients with a variety of solutions for achieving their dream smiles.

Conventional Dentures Problems

Despite their affordability, which makes them a popular option for replacing missing teeth, conventional dentures can present challenges that may impact daily activities and overall lifestyle, such as:

1. Reduced Chewing Ability: Conventional dentures can limit your food choices. As they rely on the underlying soft tissues and bone for their retention, this can lead to some mobility during chewing, making it difficult to eat hard foods.
2. Underlying Bone Resorption: Conventional dentures transfer all the load to the underlying bone, which causes bone resorption. Eventually, this will lead to looseness of the dentures and the need for relining or total replacement.
3. Unpleasant esthetics: partial dentures have a secondary retention feature, which involves the metallic wires or clasps around the neighboring teeth, resulting in an unpleasant aesthetic appearance.
4. Denture Looseness: The retention of conventional dentures, particularly complete dentures, is limited, resulting in a high risk of them becoming dislodged during eating or speaking, which can be quite embarrassing.
5. Brittle: they can easily break if they fall.

What Are Flexible Dentures?

Flexible dentures are a recent innovation in the field of prosthodontics, designed to address the challenges associated with traditional complete dentures.

They are made from a thermoplastic material, such as Nylon (Valplast), which can be molded into thinner sections compared to the bulkier acrylic resin used in conventional dentures. Valplast is transparent, allowing light to reflect off the underlying soft tissue, which enhances the natural appearance.

The retentive components (clasps) in flexible partial dentures are made from the same thermoplastic material instead of metal, which offers improved aesthetics.

At Dulwich Dental Office, our expert prosthodontists are experienced in designing and constructing high-fitting flexible dentures ensuring a successful and durable restoration that covers your needs.

Flexible Dentures Vs Conventional Dentures

Both flexible and conventional dentures are removable devices designed to restore multiple missing teeth. They consist of a base that supports the artificial teeth.
A flexible denture base is made from a nylon material that offers increased flexibility, enhancing the restoration fits and transparency, allowing for a more natural appearance by reflecting the colour of the underlying gums. However, flexible dentures can be more expensive than conventional dentures.
Conventional denture bases are fabricated from acrylic resin, a more rigid material that typically comes in a pink colour. While they exhibit less flexibility, they are easier to clean when compared to flexible dentures.
Conventional dentures are more susceptible to fractures if dropped due to their brittleness. However, they can be repaired easily. In contrast, flexible dentures are much more challenging to repair and often necessitate the construction of a new denture if they become fractured.
The choice between conventional and flexible dentures is a multifactorial process that requires a detailed examination and discussion regarding your expected outcomes and financial considerations. Consult our expert prosthodontists to learn more about your options and determine if flexible dentures are the ideal solution for you.

Dulwich Dental Office: A Premier London Destination for Flexible Dentures

Dulwich Dental Office is a leading clinic in London that offers flexible dentures to ensure our patients’ satisfaction. Our professional prosthodontists possess world-class expertise in creating high-quality flexible dentures designed for long-lasting functionality.
During your initial visit, a comprehensive evaluation of your remaining natural teeth, gum health, and bone condition will be conducted. This evaluation will help narrow down your treatment options.
Our prosthodontists will attentively listen to your concerns, goals, and treatment expectations to align them with the most suitable treatment solutions for you.
If you are a suitable candidate for flexible dentures, the entire process will be explained in detail to ensure your understanding and acceptance of this treatment option.
You are now fully prepared for your flexible dentures. The process of fabricating flexible dentures typically requires two visits. During the first visit, an impression will be taken and sent to the dental laboratory along with our experts’ design recommendations. Once your flexible dentures are ready, you will be invited for a second visit to fit them, make any necessary final adjustments, and receive detailed instructions on how to care for your flexible dentures to ensure their longevity.

Caring For Your Flexible Dentures

Flexible dentures have a high ability for bacterial build-up, this is why they require a special care routine to ensure their durability.

Caring for your flexible dentures must also include caring for your remaining natural teeth. Follow your regular oral hygiene instructions for cleaning your natural teeth by brushing twice daily and flossing once daily to maintain their health. Also, keep regular check-up visits to anticipate problems and maintain durable restoration.