Treatment

Flexible dentures

A partial denture in a nylon-based material that bends slightly instead of resisting, and holds on with gum-coloured clasps instead of metal ones. Lighter to wear, and invisible in a way the old kind never was.

Visits: Two
In Istanbul: 4–6 days
Removable: Yes
Lifespan: 5–8 years

What it is

A conventional partial denture is rigid acrylic with a metal framework, and it holds on by clasping the teeth either side of the gap. It works, and it has two familiar costs: the clasps show when you smile, and a rigid plate presses on the same points of gum every time you bite.

A flexible denture is made from a thermoplastic nylon instead. It has a little give, so the load spreads rather than concentrating, and its clasps are the same colour as the gum and hook over the tooth rather than around it. For people who have never got on with a hard acrylic plate, or whose gums stay sore under one, that difference is the point.

What it is not is a permanent answer. It is a removable appliance: it comes out at night, it does not stop the bone under the gap from receding, and it will need replacing in five to eight years. An implant or a bridge is what stops those, and a flexible denture is the right choice when those are not available, not affordable, or not wanted.

A denture replaces teeth. An implant replaces roots. Whichever you choose, choose it knowing which of the two you are getting.
Prof. Dr. Coşkun Yıldız

Which one you need

One or two missing teeth
The most common flexible partial, and light enough that most people stop noticing it within a week.
A small gap, healthy teeth around it
Several gaps in one arch
One appliance spanning the arch, spreading the load across more of the gum rather than concentrating it on the teeth either side of each gap.
Teeth missing on both sides
A temporary while implants heal
Something to wear and be seen in while the implants integrate. This is a common and entirely sensible use for one.
The months between surgery and final teeth
When a denture is the wrong answer
A denture sits on the gum and leaves the bone unloaded, so the ridge recedes and the fit loosens over years. Where an implant is possible, it is usually the better answer, and you should hear that before you decide.
Where an implant is possible

What happens to you

Two visits, and a wait at home in between

Before you fly
Photographs and a plan
Photographs and any X-ray you have. You will be told whether a flexible denture is the right appliance for your case, and what else is available, before a flight is booked.
Day 1
Impressions
An examination of the gums and the teeth that will carry the clasps, then impressions or a digital scan of the arch.
Days 2–4
The laboratory
Made in our own laboratory in the building, in the shade chosen against your own gum rather than from a chart.
Day 4–5
Fitting and adjustment
Fitted, checked for pressure points and adjusted. Almost every denture needs an adjustment after a day or two of real wear, which is why the fitting is not the last appointment of the trip.
The first fortnight
Getting used to it
Speech takes a few days and eating takes a couple of weeks — start with soft food cut small and chew on both sides. Any spot that stays sore is an adjustment, not something to endure.

Before you fly
Photographs and a plan
Photographs and any X-ray you have. You will be told whether a flexible denture is the right appliance for your case, and what else is available, before a flight is booked.
Day 1
Impressions
An examination of the gums and the teeth that will carry the clasps, then impressions or a digital scan of the arch.
Days 2–4
The laboratory
Made in our own laboratory in the building, in the shade chosen against your own gum rather than from a chart.
Day 4–5
Fitting and adjustment
Fitted, checked for pressure points and adjusted. Almost every denture needs an adjustment after a day or two of real wear, which is why the fitting is not the last appointment of the trip.
The first fortnight
Getting used to it
Speech takes a few days and eating takes a couple of weeks — start with soft food cut small and chew on both sides. Any spot that stays sore is an adjustment, not something to endure.

Before you fly
Photographs and a plan
Photographs and any X-ray you have. You will be told whether a flexible denture is the right appliance for your case, and what else is available, before a flight is booked.
Day 1
Impressions
An examination of the gums and the teeth that will carry the clasps, then impressions or a digital scan of the arch.
Days 2–4
The laboratory
Made in our own laboratory in the building, in the shade chosen against your own gum rather than from a chart.
Day 4–5
Fitting and adjustment
Fitted, checked for pressure points and adjusted. Almost every denture needs an adjustment after a day or two of real wear, which is why the fitting is not the last appointment of the trip.
The first fortnight
Getting used to it
Speech takes a few days and eating takes a couple of weeks — start with soft food cut small and chew on both sides. Any spot that stays sore is an adjustment, not something to endure.

Before you fly
Photographs and a plan
Photographs and any X-ray you have. You will be told whether a flexible denture is the right appliance for your case, and what else is available, before a flight is booked.
Day 1
Impressions
An examination of the gums and the teeth that will carry the clasps, then impressions or a digital scan of the arch.
Days 2–4
The laboratory
Made in our own laboratory in the building, in the shade chosen against your own gum rather than from a chart.
Day 4–5
Fitting and adjustment
Fitted, checked for pressure points and adjusted. Almost every denture needs an adjustment after a day or two of real wear, which is why the fitting is not the last appointment of the trip.
The first fortnight
Getting used to it
Speech takes a few days and eating takes a couple of weeks — start with soft food cut small and chew on both sides. Any spot that stays sore is an adjustment, not something to endure.

Questions

How is it different from an ordinary denture?

The material bends a little rather than staying rigid, so the load spreads instead of pressing on the same points; and the clasps are gum-coloured rather than metal, so they do not show when you smile.

Do I take it out at night?

Yes. The gums need the hours without it, and the denture should sit in water or a cleaning solution rather than dry out.

How do I clean it?

Rinse it after meals, brush it daily with a soft brush and soap or a denture cleaner rather than toothpaste — toothpaste is abrasive enough to scratch the surface — and never use hot water, which distorts the material.

How long will it last?

Five to eight years for the appliance itself. What tends to end it sooner is the gum underneath changing shape as the bone recedes, so the fit loosens even though the denture has not worn out.

Can it be relined or repaired?

Relined, sometimes; repaired, less easily than acrylic — the material does not take an added-on patch the way acrylic does. Damage often means remaking it, which is worth knowing before it goes in a pocket.

Patients

The people who already came

Six of our patients, filmed at the clinic and talking about their own treatment. They are the clinic’s patients rather than any one procedure’s — what each of them had is in the film.