Flipper

• The least expensive way to replace a few missing lower or upper teeth -- provided you have at least two teeth left on both sides of the arch -- is to get dental flippers, which are called removable partial dentures, or RPD. The purpose of each kind of flippers is to replace natural teeth that are missing. The various flipper types differ in the material they use to retain the flipper in the mouth and to support the denture teeth.
  
  

Flipper Advantage

• One of the conveniences of a flipper is that you can have it made before the dentist removes your teeth, then put it in immediately after the dentist pulls the teeth. You don't have to go around with missing teeth. A flipper is an immediate partial denture. Flipper teeth are false teeth that are kept in place by equipment that is something like an orthodontic retainer. The flipper teeth can be secured to surrounding teeth using metal clips.
  
  

Flipper Disadvantages

• The flipper, which has an irregular shape, may break and get brittle. A full denture is much stronger and is in a regular shape. In order to prevent the flipper from breaking, the acrylic the dentist uses in the design is thick -- something uncomfortable for the wearer. It takes time for the wearer to adapt. A flipper is usually held in the mouth via wire clasps that you can sometimes see, and people don't like that. The wires can also interfere with the way you bite. Flippers can cause mouth irritation. It is difficult to eat when wearing a flippers because they tend to move around. Some people remove the flipper when they are eating.
  
  

Bridge

• An upper dental bridge is fixed and permanent. Bridges come in different sizes and are constructed of porcelain. The most typical bridge is one that spans three teeth, but you can get one that replaces more teeth than three. The bridge can be designed as two separate bridges. For example, you might have a two-unit bridge on the upper right side and a three-unit bridge on the upper left side. Or the bridge can be one solid piece.
  
  

Other Bridge Options

• You can get bridges made that span the complete arch of your mouth. With this option, the dentist makes the bridge stronger than a regular porcelain bridge, because it involves replacing more teeth. This type of bridge is made of zirconium. You can also get a removable bridge, an alternative if you can't get a fixed bridge. Another option is posterior porcelain-fused-to-gold bridges, which have a metal substructure, making the bridge rigid.