Flipper tooth

Is a dental flipper tooth right for you?

Learn more about dental flippers, removable partial dentures that can be used in place of missing teeth.

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.

Depending on how many teeth are missing, a flipper tooth may have 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 clearer, improve your overall oral health, and smile more confidently. Depending on your age and specific dental needs, there are permanent and semi-permanent options available.

Benefits of dental partials¹

• Improved appearance: Flippers fill in the space created by missing teeth, so you don’t have a visible gap or missing tooth.

• Easier to eat: Flippers help you chew food more easily.

• Stability for your teeth: Flippers helps keep the teeth around the gap in place, which prevents other teeth from shifting.

• Convenience: Flippers are simple to wear and can easily be taken out for nightly cleaning.

• Comfort and aesthetics: Some believe flippers are more comfortable and better-looking than other temporary alternatives, such as cast partials made of metal.

• Affordability: Flippers are typically more affordable than other dental alternatives.

• Easy to make: Flippers can be made quickly, often within a day or two.

• Preparation for tooth extraction: If teeth need to be removed, a flipper typically can be made before they’re extracted.

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 can sometimes take up to six months.²

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 they turn 17 or 18 and can get implants.³

An option for missing teeth

Depending on the location and number of teeth you’re missing, your dentist may have 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.

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.⁴

How long can you wear a dental flipper?

Flippers are typically intended to be worn temporarily while you wait for your gums to heal before getting a permanent implant. But some people may choose to wear flippers indefinitely, either because of the low cost or because they’re lightweight and easy to adjust to.

For kids with missing teeth who are younger than 17, a flipper may be a long-term solution until they’re old enough to get implants;⁵ however, flippers are prone to breaking easily, and require regular care to keep them clean and to protect your other teeth and gums.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.

Visit your dentist twice a year to closely monitor 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 contribute to increased 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 dental flippers, pageant flipper teeth are false teeth typically worn in beauty pageants and similar events to hide imperfections. These types of flippers are much cheaper and are for cosmetic purposes only. Pageant flippers are not medical solutions for missing teeth.⁸

Are there dental flipper alternatives?⁹

Metal removable partial dentures

• Made with a metal framework and gum-colored plastic or acrylic.

• 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.

• More stable than flippers, though still removable.

• Sometimes the metal framework shows, which is not aesthetically preferable.

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.

• Relies on adjacent anchoring teeth to be functional.

Partial dentures for front teeth

Partial dentures typically can be created for both the front and back teeth. People who are missing a front tooth may struggle with biting down on food and oftentimes they are reluctant to smile due to the missing tooth.² Partial dentures can help fill the gap, making chewing easier and improving your smile.

How much are “fake” teeth?

Fake teeth, or dentures, are completely different from a partial denture. When you get a complete set of dentures, your dental technician will typically first extract all of your teeth: The resulting denture is held on by suction after the healing process has completed. Partial dentures, on the other hand, only replace the teeth that are missing. Rather than using suction, partial dentures are secured by clipping into nearby healthy teeth.³

Flipper teeth typically cost between $300 and $500, depending on the number of teeth you need to replace and the materials used.¹⁰

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.

Prosthetic teeth & related insights

A prosthetic tooth is any type of false tooth, including dentures, implants, crowns, bridges, partial dentures, and veneers. To have a dental prosthetic device made, your dentist will typically conduct a full assessment and recommend the prosthetic that best fits your needs.

Having dental insurance helps ensure that you have affordable access to partial dentures or flipper teeth. Before purchasing an insurance plan, be sure to do some research to understand how your dental insurance benefits work.