Acrylic partial
A pink acrylic base with wrought-wire clasps. Least costly, straightforward to repair and easy to add a tooth to later. Thicker than the alternatives and the wires can show on some teeth.
From £795
Restorative dentistry · Wimpole Street, Marylebone
Partial dentures in Marylebone: filling several gaps while keeping every tooth you still have
A partial denture replaces a few missing teeth on a removable plate that rests on the gum and hooks around the teeth that remain. Nothing is drilled, nothing is surgically placed, and if circumstances change the plate can be adjusted, added to or set aside. That flexibility is its strength; a certain bulk in the mouth and the need to take it out to clean are the price. At Wimpole Street partials come in three materials at three fees, acrylic from £795, flexible Valplast from £895 and cobalt-chrome from £1,395, and the honest advice is that the cheapest is right for some mouths and quite wrong for others.
- From £795
- 3–4 visits over 3–4 weeks
- No drilling of remaining teeth
Suitability
Is it right for you?
A good fit when
- Two or more missing teeth in one jaw, especially where gaps are spread across both sides.
- A gap at the back with no tooth behind it, where a bridge has nothing to anchor to.
- Patients who want to defer implants, or for whom implants are not medically or financially sensible.
- Remaining teeth that are firm and healthy enough to carry clasps.
- A stop-gap during implant healing or while orthodontics finishes.
- Anyone whose priority is a reversible, repairable option.
Think twice, or choose another route, when
- A single missing tooth with sound neighbours, where a Maryland bridge or implant serves far better.
- Remaining teeth that are loose from gum disease; clasps will load them and hasten their loss.
- A strong gag reflex, unless the design can avoid the palate.
- Patients who know they will not take the plate out at night and clean it.
- Anyone who expects to forget it is there; a well-fitted partial is comfortable but rarely invisible to the tongue.
The process
How it works at Wimpole Street
- 01
Assessment and design
Radiographs of the remaining teeth confirm they can carry clasps. We map where the plate will sit, which teeth will hold it and how to keep any metal out of sight. Material and fee are agreed in writing.
- 02
Impressions
Moulds of both jaws and a bite record go to the technician. For cobalt-chrome, the metal framework is cast first and tried in the mouth before any teeth are added.
- 03
Try-in
The replacement teeth are set in wax on the base or framework so that shade, shape and position can be checked in a mirror and adjusted before processing.
- 04
Fitting
The finished denture is seated, clasps are adjusted for a firm but gentle grip, the bite is balanced and you are shown how to insert, remove and clean it.
- 05
Adjustment
A review a week or so later to ease any pressure points. Most people are comfortable within two to three weeks.
Choices
Options & materials
Flexible Valplast partial
Thin nylon that flexes to slip past the teeth, with gum-coloured clasps instead of metal. Discreet and comfortable, but not easily relined or extended, so suited to a mouth that is stable.
From £895
Cobalt-chrome partial
A cast metal skeleton, far thinner than acrylic, with precise rests on the teeth that stop the plate sinking into the gum. The most stable and durable design, and the kindest to the remaining teeth.
From £1,395
Fees
What it costs
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
Acrylic partial denture Impressions, try-in, fitting and first adjustments. | From £795 |
Flexible Valplast partial denture Metal-free with tooth-coloured clasps. | From £895 |
Cobalt-chrome partial denture Cast framework try-in included. | From £1,395 |
Adding a tooth to an existing acrylic partial Usually possible within a few days. | Quoted per case |
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 partial denture that has been designed rather than simply made fills the gaps with teeth that match the shade and shape of your own, keeps clasps behind or between teeth where they are out of sight, and sits still when you talk and eat. Because it borrows support from the remaining teeth, it is markedly more stable than a full denture.
Chewing improves considerably over having gaps, though not to the level of fixed teeth. Acrylic partials tend to last five to eight years, flexible partials a similar span, and a cobalt-chrome framework ten to fifteen years, with the acrylic teeth on it replaced as they wear. The plate also stops neighbouring teeth drifting into the gaps, which protects future options.
Afterwards
Looking after the result
- Take the denture out at night and keep it in water or a cleaning solution.
- Clean it daily with a soft brush and denture cleaner over a filled basin, so a drop does not crack it.
- Brush and floss the remaining teeth thoroughly, especially around the clasps where plaque gathers.
- Insert with your fingers, never by biting it into place, which bends clasps and cracks acrylic.
- Come in for adjustment if a spot stays sore beyond a few days; do not file it yourself.
- Have the fit and the clasp teeth checked at every routine examination.
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.
- Clasps increase plaque retention on the teeth they hold, and those teeth decay or develop gum problems more readily if cleaning slips.
- Load on the clasp teeth. A poorly designed plate rocks and levers on its supporting teeth; a well-designed one spreads the load, which is part of what you pay for in cobalt-chrome.
- Bone under the saddle areas continues to shrink, so the fit loosens over the years and a reline or remake is needed.
- Breakage of acrylic or clasps, usually from dropping the denture or biting it into place.
- Visible metal on some tooth positions with acrylic or chrome designs; flexible partials avoid this at the cost of adjustability.
- Adaptation. A minority of people never get on with a removable plate, in which case a bridge or implants are the alternatives.
FAQ
Questions patients ask
Acrylic if budget leads and the mouth may change; flexible if you want no metal showing and the remaining teeth are stable; cobalt-chrome if you want the thinnest, most secure plate that will last longest. The examination usually points clearly to one.
It depends on which teeth carry them. We design the plate to put clasps behind or between teeth where possible, and a flexible partial uses gum-coloured clasps that are hard to spot.
To an acrylic partial, yes, easily. To a chrome framework, sometimes. To a flexible partial, rarely; a new one is usually needed if another tooth is lost.
Two to three weeks for most people. Speech settles in days; eating takes a little longer. Reading aloud and practising with soft food both speed things up.
A bridge is fixed and feels more natural but needs sound anchor teeth either side of the gap and involves drilling them. A partial handles several scattered gaps at once, needs no drilling and costs less, but is removable and bulkier.
Yes, and wearing a partial in the meantime keeps the gaps open and the neighbouring teeth from drifting, which makes later implant work simpler.
Yes. Impressions and try-ins can be done at South Kensington or St Paul’s now at the same fee, with fitting or adjustments in Marylebone after 1 October 2026.
Keep reading
Related treatments and guides
Marylebone, W1
Partial 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
