Flipper denture
Immediate and removable
- Time until you have it
- Days, sometimes the same day
- Comes out
- Yes
- Reduces healthy teeth
- No
- Stops bone loss
- No
Restorative dentistry · El Poblado, Medellín
A removable flipper denture,
ready in a few days
A flipper denture replaces one or several teeth immediately and comes out for cleaning. It solves how your smile looks while the definitive solution is on its way.
In-person consultation in El Poblado
Removable solution, ready in a few days
Torre Médica Oviedo · El Poblado, Medellín
How the flipper is made
Impression, laboratory work and delivery, with one team in El Poblado
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It is planned before the extraction
When a tooth is known to need extraction, the impression is taken beforehand: that way the flipper is ready the same day and you do not leave with a gap.
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The shade is matched to your own teeth
The tooth on the flipper is chosen by shape and shade against the neighboring ones, so the gap does not show when you speak.
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It is a step, not the end of the road
The flipper solves the present while the definitive solution is decided: an implant, a bridge or a denture.
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In El Poblado, Torre Médica Oviedo
We work inside a medical building with imaging equipment and sterilization on site.
Flipper dentures in Medellín
A flipper solves what is urgent: that the gap does not show and that you can speak and smile normally while the definitive solution is decided or made. What it aims for: to restore the look of your smile within days, with no surgery and without reducing the teeth next to the gap. It is usually considered in cases like these:
- A visible tooth is going to be extracted and you do not want to be left with the gap.
- You are waiting for an implant to integrate.
- You have been missing a front tooth for some time.
- You want a quick solution while you organize the definitive treatment.
- You would rather not have the neighboring teeth reduced for a bridge.
What it solves and what it does not
What a flipper denture is for
A flipper is an acrylic base carrying one or more teeth that rests on the gum and is held by the teeth still in place. It goes in and out, it is made in a few days and it is the fastest way to avoid walking around with a visible gap.
What a flipper does not do: it does not give back full chewing force, nor does it stop the bone loss where the root used to be. That is why it is offered as a temporary or lower-cost solution, and what comes next is discussed from the start.
- While the gum heals after an extraction.
- While an implant integrates and the definitive crown is made.
- When a fixed solution is not viable right now, for time or budget reasons.
- To replace one or two visible teeth without reducing the neighboring ones.
If you need to replace several teeth with something stable, see dentures and bridges; and if what is missing is the root, dental implants.
Book a consultation
How we work on restorative dentistry at Clínica Be Dharma.
How a flipper is made, step by step
1. Consultation and impression
We assess the gap to be filled and the condition of the neighboring teeth and the gum, and take the impression. If an extraction is planned, the impression is taken before it.
2. Tooth shade and shape
Shade and shape are chosen against the neighboring teeth, which is what makes the flipper go unnoticed when you speak.
3. Laboratory work
The laboratory mounts the tooth on the acrylic base. It is usually ready within a few days; in cases planned before an extraction, the same day.
4. Delivery and fitting
It is tried in and the pressure points are relieved. It should go in and out without forcing, and it should not hurt.
5. Follow-up and definitive plan
In the days that follow we check for rubbing. And we define what comes next: an implant, a bridge or a denture.
A flipper solves appearance in days. A bridge and an implant solve function and last, but they ask for more time, more bone or reducing the neighboring teeth.
Flipper, bridge or implant: how they differ
Bridge
Consecutive teeth, fixed solution
- Time until you have it
- Two or three visits
- Comes out
- No
- Reduces healthy teeth
- Yes, the neighboring ones
- Stops bone loss
- No
Implant
Replaces the root as well
- Time until you have it
- Months, because of healing
- Comes out
- No
- Reduces healthy teeth
- No
- Stops bone loss
- Yes, it stimulates the bone
How much a flipper denture costs
The price depends on how many teeth the flipper carries and on the material of the base. It is confirmed at the consultation, once the gap to be covered and the condition of the supporting teeth are known.
How many teeth it carries
One or several, depending on the gap to cover.
The base material
Conventional or flexible acrylic.
Whether it is planned before the extraction
So it can be delivered the same day.
Whether treatment is needed first
Of the gums or of the supporting teeth.
At the consultation we also tell you what the definitive solution would cost, so you decide with both figures in front of you.
Specialists in dentures and flippers
Dr. Jorge Mejía Correa
General dentist · Lic. 5-4513-08
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Dra. Marcela Jiménez
Periodontist
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Dr. David Delgado
Medical director
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Questions
Frequently asked questions about flipper dentures
What is the difference between a flipper and a partial denture?
None in essence: flipper is the everyday name for the same removable appliance carrying one or a few teeth. Both terms are used in the clinic.
Can I eat with it in?
You can eat, but it does not give back full chewing force and it is wise to avoid very hard or sticky food. Its main job is appearance and holding the space.
How long can it be worn?
It is a temporary or lower-cost solution, not a definitive one. It can stay with you for months, but the bone underneath keeps resorbing and the fit gradually loosens; that is why what comes next is defined from the start.
What are the risks, and what should I expect?
At first speaking takes effort and you produce more saliva. If it is not cleaned properly it encourages gum inflammation and fungal infection. Poorly made clasps can wear the enamel of the supporting teeth. And it does not stop the bone loss where the root used to be: only an implant does that.
Does it show?
Well made, barely. It depends on the shade and shape of the tooth and on how the edge sits against the gum. On front teeth, the critical point is the gum line.
Do I sleep with it in?
Generally it is taken out at night so the gum can rest, unless your dentist advises otherwise in the first days after an extraction.
How is it cleaned?
Take it out and brush it with water and a neutral soap or a specific cleaner, not abrasive toothpaste. Brush the supporting teeth and the gum as well.
Contact
Book a consultation and don't be left with a visible gap
We tell you whether your case allows the flipper to be delivered the same day and which definitive solution suits you afterwards.
Torre Médica Oviedo · Calle 6 Sur #43A-227, floor 7, suite 776 · El Poblado, Medellín. Monday to Friday 8:00–17:00 and Saturday 8:00–12:00.