What is a Dental Flipper?
A dental flipper is the least expensive way to replace a lost or missing tooth and is often used as a temporary tooth while your mouth heals from trauma or while you are waiting for a permanent restoration. Flippers help you retain the aesthetics of your smile when you lose a tooth and keep the surrounding healthy teeth from shifting into the gap.
How Are Dental Flippers Made?
Flippers are generally made out of acrylic to match the shade of your existing teeth as closely as possible and are shaped to fit in your mouth. They can contain one or more false teeth connected to a plastic section that molds to the roof of your mouth and, similar to a retainer, use wires around your teeth to hold them in place.
Benefits of Flippers
There are many benefits to having temporary flippers, including:
- They are quick to customize and make
- They are lightweight and easy to wear
- They improve your smile while waiting for more permanent restorations
- They can easily be modified if needed
While there are certainly benefits to flippers, there are a few essential things to know. You cannot eat while wearing flippers, as they are fragile and weak. If they break, only a dentist or dental laboratory can repair them.
Flippers also may be uncomfortable and noticeable because they require metal wires to affix to your natural teeth. Being a temporary solution, they can become loose and require adjustment if worn for an extended period.
Finally, you must meticulously clean your flippers routinely to keep them sanitary. Given how they are worn, they can prevent saliva from reaching different areas of your mouth, increasing your risk for tooth decay and gum disease.
Will Insurance Cover Flippers?
Most dental insurance companies will cover flippers, though you may be required to wait for approval before you get reimbursed. Other insurance companies may only cover flippers or the final restoration, not both. Medical insurance and Medicaid do not cover flippers.
Protect Your Smile With Flippers From Superior Cosmetic & Family Dentistry
Whether you have had a tooth extracted or lost a tooth from trauma, Superior Cosmetic & Family Dentistry can help restore your smile with a variety of cosmetic dentistry procedures. While you wait for your new restoration, we will provide you with a dental flipper to keep your natural teeth from invading the gap left by your missing tooth. Give us a call at (301) 464-2323 or schedule an appointment today. We accept patients of all ages in and around Bowie, Maryland.