Flexible Dentures: The Comfortable Alternative to Traditional Dentures

There are numerous reasons why someone might lose a tooth or a couple of teeth, whether a medical condition, an accident, or natural reasons. Missing teeth can hinder a person’s speech or ability to eat solid foods. As a result, orthodontists found several methods to help patients; the most commonly used are dentures. Previously, people used the rigid, regular acrylic dentures, but nowadays they are heading for a more comfortable, aesthetically pleasing solution that is as durable as real teeth and even more comfortable than the old ones. This new solution is flexible dentures.

What are Flexible Dentures?

Flexible dentures are a partial type of dental prosthetic typically made from a soft, flexible material. They are a non-invasive alternative solution to surgical dental implants. They are usually made from nylon-based thermoplastic resins. Brands like Valplast and Flexite are recognized for offering premium, flexible dentures as mention in this paper. 

Why Use Flexible Dentures? 

There is a simple answer to this: flexible dentures are comfortable, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. 

They have many other advantages that would be listed below. 

Naturally Looking: 

Flexible dentures are custom-designed to your own teeth; the base is made from a translucent material that blends perfectly with your gums.

Comfortable: 

Flexible dentures are made from soft, pliable material. They are easily bent and designed to take the exact shape of your gum. Unlike regular dentures, which are rigid and can easily cause dental sores, these are a better alternative. They are thinner than the regular dentures, minimizing discomfort.

Durable:

One of the worst things about the old regular dentures was that they often cracked or broke. On the other hand, the flexible dentures are made from a flexible material like thermoplastic resin, which is resistant to wear and tear. They are impact-resistant in case they are dropped by accident.  

Fitting: 

The flexible and pliable design of the dentures allows for a more precise fit. As a result, this provides more stable and secure positioning of the prosthetic.

Easy Use: 

Flexible dentures are very easy to use. They fit your gums like puzzle pieces, forming your beautiful smile. They can be pulled out and put back in your mouth without the use of adhesives or any complicated tools. 

They are also easy to clean with a soft toothbrush and dental cleaner. They are often soaked in denture solution at night. 

Light Weight:

When compared to the regular dentures, the new flexible dentures are lighter, making them even more comfortable because they don’t add pressure to the gums.

Biocompatibility: 

The flexible dentures, as mentioned before, are made from nylon-based thermoplastic resins. This material is unlikely to cause any allergic reaction or irritation, unlike acrylic dentures, which can trigger an allergic reaction, causing symptoms like reddiness, itching, burning, and irritation. 

What Are the Disadvantages of Flexible Dentures?

There are a couple of reasons why flexible dentures might not be the best option out there for some people. 

Not Suitable for All

In case you are someone who has lost all your teeth, then flexible dentures are not going to be suitable for you because they latch to healthy teeth for support when it comes to fitting perfectly into your mouth. 

Cost 

In comparison to regular dentures, flexible dentures are costly. The material designed for them, as well as the process, is considered expensive. 

Hard To Repair

We have already mentioned that these flexible dentures are very hard to break, but if you were able to break them, then you would need to make new ones. Their flexible and pliable material makes it very hard to repair in case something happens to them. 

 Hard To Adjust

Once you have gotten the teeth fitted and the flexible dentures are set and done, it would be very hard to adjust them if there is an issue. If anything changes in your teeth shape or their fitting has changed, then you might be required to get new ones. 

Poor Fit Distructive Issues

Flexible dentures are custom-made for a reason: to keep the teeth from moving or shifting and to replace the missing teeth with a set of identical and functioning ones. So, if the flexible denture were poorly fitting or the fit changed for any reason, then you might have mouth sores, irritation, eating difficulty, or even infections. 

Poor Hygiene Destructive Issues

Just like forgetting to brush your teeth or flossing, forgetting to clean your dentures regularly would lead to serious issues. A few of the problems your teeth might face are fungal and bacterial infections, which can cause the remaining and healthy teeth to decay and cause other gum-related diseases. 

How Are Flexible Dentures Made?

It is made through a process called “injection molding with thermoplastic nylon resin”. This process has several steps so your dentist can fabricate your custom-made flexible dentures. If you are curious to know how, here is a glimpse of the technology of obtaining flexible dentures. 

• Dental Impressions 

The dentist prepares dental putty, usually made from vinyl siloxane, silicone, and dental-grade materials. This putty is put on a tray, then the tray is put inside your mouth, and you will have to bite on it for 3 to 5 minutes so your dental impression is made. 

• Wax Model Creation

The dentist uses this impression to create a Wax model of your teeth. That is going to be the base for creating the flexible dentures. 

• Flask and Injection 

The Wax Model is put in a special injection flask. Then they dewax the mold and inject the thermoplastic nylon resin to create the dentures. 

• Finishing and Polishing

After retrieving the dentures from the flask, a valcinate bur is used to polish and refine the final product. 

These are often the unseen steps that are required to fabricate flexible dentures, and there is an extra step in case the dentures don’t fit your teeth; the dentist will solve this issue as he sees fit. 

What Are the Prices of Flexible Dentures?

The price of a flexible denture could be affected by various reasons: the number of teeth that need replacement, the case complexity, as some cases require special manufacturing techniques to create the perfect mold, and the material used in manufacturing the flexible dentures. Consequently, the higher the quality, the higher the cost. 

The prices start from £600 and could reach £1995 per arch. They are costly, but at the end of the day, worth every penny taken into consideration the value you get for this price.

What Is a Better Alternative to Flexible Dentures?

As a person who loves more permanent solutions, Flexible dentures are not my cup of tea. We have discussed their problems previously, and for me to have to get dentures every couple of years because my teeth have changed or they have broken down is very inconvenient to me.

I completely understand that they are a non-invasive solution, but I would pick an invasive solution like dental implants over dentures any day. 

The dental implants are costly as well, but I think that a £3000 sum paid once is cheaper than a £900 flexible denture paid repeatedly and would gradually be more expensive in the future. 

Conclusion 

Flexible Dentures are very useful prosthetics that could solve several issues that you might face as someone who has lost a couple of their teeth. They are one of the top solutions, if not the best option, so far. 

However, there are a couple of issues that could cause disastrous dental problems, which could even lead to losing your healthy teeth if you don’t care for them. 

Another issue is that they are not a permanent solution to your dental issues. It could cost you a fortune if we calculated the amount you might require for your lifetime.

A Permanent Solution to Your Teeth Problems: Dr. CEM Baysal 

Dr.CEM Baysal, a renowned Turkish doctor who offers teeth Implants ranging from £1500

 to £7500. I know it is a number, but these prices are considered nothing in comparison to teeth implants here in the UK. 

Check Dr. CEM Baysal’s Website and the number of treatments offered for a more permanent and better solution to get the smile you deserve.