Acrylic partial denture
The simplest, lightest-cost partial. Adjusts and repairs easily and teeth can be added to it later. Bulkier than the alternatives and relies on clasps that can show.
From £795
Restorative dentistry · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Dentures in Marylebone: removable teeth made to fit your mouth, your face and your budget
Dentures remain the only way to replace many teeth at once without surgery, and a well-made set does far more than fill a gap: it supports the lips and cheeks, restores the ability to chew a proper meal and gives back a smile that many people had stopped showing. At Wimpole Street we make full and partial dentures in acrylic, flexible nylon and cobalt-chrome, priced from £795 to £1,395, over four or five short visits. We are also candid about their limits: a lower full denture is never as stable as natural teeth, and where that matters implants can be added to hold it firm.
- From £795
- 4–5 visits over 3–5 weeks
- Long-term: 5–8 yrs acrylic, 10–15 chrome
Suitability
Is it right for you?
A good fit when
- All the teeth in one or both jaws missing or beyond saving.
- Several missing teeth where implants are not wanted, not affordable yet or not possible because of bone or health.
- An old denture that has become loose, worn or cracked and needs replacing.
- The months between extractions and implant restoration, when an immediate denture keeps you presentable.
- Patients for whom surgery carries medical risk.
Think twice, or choose another route, when
- A single missing tooth with sound neighbours; a Maryland bridge or implant is a better long-term answer.
- A strong gag reflex that cannot tolerate an upper plate, unless the design can be cut back or implants used.
- Very flat or resorbed lower ridges where a conventional plate will not stay put; implant retention is the realistic route.
- Expectations of chewing exactly as with natural teeth; dentures restore perhaps a fifth to a quarter of natural bite force.
- Anyone unwilling to remove and clean them daily.
The process
How it works at Wimpole Street
- 01
Assessment and design
We look at the ridges, the remaining teeth, your bite and how your lips sit at rest and when you smile. Old photographs of your natural smile are useful. Material, tooth shade and shape are chosen and the written fee agreed.
- 02
Primary impressions
First moulds of both jaws, from which the technician makes custom trays that fit your mouth exactly.
- 03
Definitive impressions and bite registration
Using the custom trays, detailed impressions capture the ridges and the soft tissue borders. Wax rims record how far apart your jaws should sit and where the front teeth should be for lip support and speech.
- 04
Wax try-in
The teeth are set in wax on a trial base so you can see the shape, shade and position in a mirror and check speech and bite. Changes are easy at this stage and we will not proceed until you are happy.
- 05
Fitting
The finished denture is inserted, pressure points relieved and the bite balanced. You leave with cleaning and wearing instructions and an appointment for adjustment a week later.
- 06
Adjustments
One to three short visits to ease sore spots as your mouth adapts. Expect two to four weeks of settling in, during which speech and eating steadily improve.
Choices
Options & materials
Flexible (Valplast) partial denture
Metal-free nylon that grips the remaining teeth with tooth-coloured clasps, so nothing metallic shows. Comfortable and thin, though harder to adjust or add to.
From £895
Full acrylic denture
A complete upper or lower arch on a pink acrylic base, held by suction and the muscles of the cheeks and tongue. Uppers are generally stable; lowers benefit from implant retention.
From £1,095
Cobalt-chrome denture
A slim cast metal framework with acrylic teeth and gums. The strongest, thinnest and most stable removable option, with a lifespan of ten to fifteen years.
From £1,395
Implant-retained denture
Any of the above made to clip onto two to four implants. Transforms the stability of a lower denture in particular.
Quoted after assessment
Fees
What it costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
Acrylic partial denture Impressions, try-in, fitting and adjustment visits. | From £795 |
Flexible Valplast partial denture Metal-free with tooth-coloured clasps. | From £895 |
Full acrylic denture, per arch Complete upper or lower. | From £1,095 |
Cobalt-chrome denture Cast metal framework, partial or full. | From £1,395 |
Implant-retained denture Implants and attachments itemised separately. | Quoted after assessment |
New patient examination Introductory rate; the usual fee is £95. | £30 |
Indicative Wimpole Street fees, the same as at South Kensington and St Paul's. A written plan with the exact figure is agreed before anything is started.
Outcomes
What the result looks like
A denture designed from photographs of your own smile, with teeth of a size and arrangement that suit your face rather than a catalogue row of identical white blocks, is surprisingly hard to spot. The upper lip regains its support, the corners of the mouth lift and the lower face looks less collapsed. Speech is normal within a couple of weeks for most people.
Function is honest rather than miraculous. A full upper denture lets most people eat a varied diet with some adaptation; a full lower denture is trickier because the tongue and a smaller ridge give it less to hold onto. Partial dentures that rest on remaining teeth are far more stable than full ones. Where stability is the priority, two implants under a lower denture change the experience entirely.
Afterwards
Looking after the result
- Remove the denture at night to rest the gums, and store it in water so the acrylic does not dry out and warp.
- Clean it daily over a basin of water with a soft brush and denture cleaner, not toothpaste, which scratches acrylic.
- Brush your gums, tongue and any remaining teeth every day as well.
- Expect sore spots in the first weeks and come in for adjustment rather than filing the denture yourself.
- Do not use superglue or DIY repair kits; they damage the acrylic and can make a professional repair impossible.
Informed consent
Risks and honest limitations
Every treatment has trade-offs. These are the ones we discuss at the consultation so that a decision is made with full information rather than after the fact.
- Bone loss continues under a denture. Without roots or implants the jaw ridge slowly shrinks, so a denture that fitted well becomes loose and needs relining or remaking.
- Sore spots and ulcers are common early on and occasionally recur where the ridge is thin. Most are settled by minor adjustment.
- Reduced chewing efficiency compared with natural teeth or implants; very hard or sticky foods are harder to manage.
- Speech and taste can be affected for a period, particularly with a full upper plate covering the palate.
- Fracture. Acrylic breaks if dropped on a hard surface, and clasps can bend or snap. Repairs are usually possible but not free.
- Flexible dentures cannot be relined or added to in the way acrylic can, so a change in the mouth may mean a new denture.
FAQ
Questions patients ask
Acrylic dentures typically serve five to eight years and cobalt-chrome ten to fifteen, with a reline every two to three years as the ridge changes shape. Teeth wear and the fit loosens; both are signs a remake is due.
Not if the teeth are chosen to suit your face and set with a little natural irregularity. We ask for old photographs so the technician has something real to work from.
With practice, most people manage a varied diet. Start with soft food cut small, chew on both sides at once and build up. Very hard, sticky or fibrous foods remain awkward, particularly with a full lower denture.
The lower ridge is smaller, the tongue pushes on the plate and there is no palate to give suction. This is the commonest complaint with full dentures and the strongest case for two implants to clip it onto.
One made before extractions and fitted immediately after the teeth are removed, so you are never without teeth. It will need relining or replacing after some months as the gums heal and shrink.
Acrylic if cost and adaptability matter most; Valplast if you want no visible metal on a partial; cobalt-chrome if strength, thinness and longevity are the priority. We will tell you which suits your mouth.
Yes. Impressions and try-ins can start at South Kensington or St Paul’s at the same fee, with fitting or adjustments in Marylebone after 1 October 2026.
Marylebone, W1
Dentures at Wimpole Street from 1 October 2026
Register your interest and we will contact you as soon as the Marylebone diary is live. If you would rather start sooner, the same clinicians already see patients in South Kensington and at St Paul’s.
Opening 1 October 2026
Wimpole Street is not yet seeing patients. Until then, please book or call our South Kensington clinic on 020 7183 2362 or our St Paul's clinic on 020 7183 3709. Questions about the new clinic: wimpolestreet@md.co.uk.
Until we open
Need an appointment before 1 October 2026?
The same clinical team already works from two other Medical & Dental clinics. Book at either one now and, if you prefer, move your ongoing care to Wimpole Street once the doors open.
South Kensington
- 20 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3DL
- Open seven days a week
- 020 7183 2362
St Paul's, City of London
- 5 Ave Maria Lane, London EC4M 7AQ
- Open Monday to Friday
- 020 7183 3709
