Flipper tooth
Last updated January 5, 2026
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A dental flipper (commonly referred to as a flipper) is a removable partial denture that dentists and oral surgeons may use as a temporary replacement if you have one or more missing teeth. Flipper teeth are typically made from denture acrylic that resembles your gums and supports the replacement tooth. Flippers are popular because they are cost-effective and can be made quickly, making them a convenient option for those needing fast tooth replacement, such as those waiting for a more permanent treatment, recovering from oral surgery, or seeking a non-invasive, short-term fix.
Flippers can be used to replace a single tooth or multiple teeth. Depending on how many teeth are missing, a flipper usually has one or more clasps, like a retainer, to hold it in place.¹
When you’re missing teeth, eating becomes more difficult, and gaps in your teeth can make you withhold your smile. Flippers can help you eat more comfortably, speak more clearly, improve your overall oral health, and smile more confidently. However, they may not always be the best solution: depending on your age and specific dental needs, other types of permanent and semi-permanent dental partials may be a better option.
Benefits of dental flippers2
Flippers fill the space of missing teeth, eliminating visible gaps. That can help in a number of ways:
Improve eating: Flippers help you chew food more easily.
Stability for your teeth: By helping keep the teeth around the gap in place, flippers can prevent other teeth from shifting.
Better speech: Eliminating gaps between teeth can help you pronounce words clearly
Convenience: They are easy to wear and can be removed for nightly cleaning.
Comfort and aesthetics: Flippers are custom shaped to rest comfortably against your teeth, and can restore your smile instantly.
Affordability: They are typically more affordable than other dental alternatives.
Easy to make: Often they can be made quickly, even within a few days.
If you’re ready for a more permanent replacement solution but are waiting for the site to heal, either after tooth extraction or after a bone or tissue graft, a dental flipper may be a good temporary fixture. Healing from a bone graft can sometimes take up to twelve months.3
A flipper can be an excellent solution in other situations as well. For example, if you’re too young for permanent implants, your dentist may give you a flipper tooth as a semi-permanent alternative for your missing teeth. Your jawbone must be finished growing before you can get an implant, so kids who lose permanent teeth often use flippers until the ages of 18-25, when jaw growth is complete and you can get implants, which are considered a permanent solution.4
Other options for missing teeth
Depending on the location and number of teeth you’re missing, your dentist may have a few options to replace them. A dental flipper is an affordable way to replace a missing tooth without the painful tooth extractions required for a traditional denture. However, flippers are one of several tooth replacement options, along with dental implants, bridges, and Maryland bridges.
Can you eat with a dental flipper?
Yes, you can eat with a flipper: One of their main benefits is that you can eat and chew more comfortably than you could with gaps from missing teeth.5 However, you should be careful when eating hard or chewy foods with a flipper, as these may damage or dislodge the flipper.
How long can you wear a dental flipper?
Flippers are typically intended to be worn temporarily while your gums heal before getting a permanent implant. But some people may choose to wear flippers indefinitely, either because of their low cost or because they’re lightweight and easy to adjust.
As noted, for kids with missing teeth who are younger than 17, a flipper may be a solution that lasts until they’re old enough to get implants. However, flippers have increased risk of breakage compared to permanent solutions, and require regular care to keep them clean along with checkups and possible adjustments to ensure proper fit.6
What's the best way to clean dental flippers?
Remove your flipper at night and scrub it gently with water or toothpaste, then soak it overnight in a glass with an antifungal and antibacterial denture tablet. You can put your clean flipper back in your mouth in the morning. It’s also important to visit your dentist twice a year to closely your flipper and to adjust it if it becomes loose.
What are common drawbacks of dental flippers?
Though flippers are usually more affordable and quicker to make than other dental alternatives, there are some cons patients should be aware of:7
The lightweight material means flippers might break easily.
The design of flippers covers your gums, so saliva can’t clean your gums properly.
If not properly cared for, flippers can increase the risk of gum disease and tooth decay.
Flippers need to grip your existing teeth to work properly, but this grip can quickly loosen.
What are pageant flippers?
Unlike regular dental flippers, pageant flipper teeth are false teeth typically worn by beauty pageant contestants and performers to hide imperfections. These types of flippers intended solely for cosmetic purposes, and are not meant for regular usage.8
Alternatives to a dental flipper9
Metal removable partial dentures: These are made with a metal framework and gum-colored plastic or acrylic. The metal framework goes across the roof of your mouth or around the back of your lower teeth and hooks onto your remaining teeth, like a flipper. Though still removable, they aremore stable than flippers; however, sometimes the metal framework shows, which is not aesthetically pleasing. Partial dentures typically can be created for both the front and back teeth.
Bridgework: A bridge is a series of crowns fixed together and held in place by the teeth adjacent to any gap. A bridge is fixed in the mouth and relies on adjacent anchoring teeth to be functional.
“Fake” teeth: Fake teeth, or full dentures, are completely different from a partial denture. When you get a complete set of dentures, it replaces an entire arch of missing teeth. The denture rests on (and is fitted to) your gums, and typically held in place with denture adhesive, a specialized form of glue, as opposed to the clasps which hold a partial denture.10
How much do dental flippers cost?
A single flipper tooth typically costs between $300 and $500, while more complex flippers involving multiple teeth may cost upwards of $1,000.11 If covered, a flipper may fall under the partial dentures category of your dental insurance policy. Be sure to talk to your provider to see if flippers are covered by your dental plan.
What to consider before getting a prosthetic tooth
A prosthetic tooth is a catch-all term for any type of false tooth, including flipper teeth, dentures, implants, crowns, bridges, partial dentures, and veneers. Each requires an investment of time, money, and effort, so before making any dental prosthetic device, your dentist will typically conduct a full assessment and recommend the prosthetic that best fits your needs.
Dental insurance can help make it affordable
If you’re thinking about getting flipper teeth, partial dentures, or another type of prosthetic tooth, dental insurance may help lessen the cost. However, many plans only cover preventive and basic care. So if you currently have a dental plan – either through work or purchased directly from a dental insurer – take some time to learn how your benefits work, whether dental prosthetics are covered, and to what degree. Your dentist may be able to help you with this. Or if you don’t currently have coverage and are looking to purchase dental insurance, make sure to purchase a plan that covers dental prosthetics. And keep in mind that there’s typically a waiting period (often 6 months to 1 year) before a plan will pay for such treatments, so don’t wait until you have a critical need to sign up.