Dr. Hall,
I have an upper and lower dental partial that have metal clamps which connect to my teeth. Is it possible to have the metal pieces colored pink to match my gums? I am very self-conscious when I smile and the metal is showing “gleaming.” Is this procedure possible and what will my price be? Thanking you in advance for your assistance with my current situation.
– Patricia from New York
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Patricia,
Unfortunately, I don’t believe there is any way to make the metal clasps on your removable partial pink. These metal clasps need to be flexible, and anything your dentist would bond to it would break off under the bending stress.
However, the gleaming that you get from light reflecting from the clasps can be toned down dramatically with a little sand blasting—something very simple to do. If your dentist doesn’t have a little “micro-etcher” device to do this job, his dental laboratory certainly would, and this is such a simple procedure that, if they didn’t offer to do it for free, the charge should be minimal. You could maybe even stop off at the dental lab yourself and have them do this. It will change the metal from being shiny and gleaming to a matte finish that doesn’t reflect much light.
A Valplast Partial
For others who are in the market for new removable partial dentures, the new plastic clasps that can be either pink or transparent are much less obvious to people, and while these partials may not be as sturdy, I believe they are sturdy enough and are way more aesthetic. There are various brands of these. The photograph here is of a Valplast partial. DuraFlex is another brand.
– Dr. Hall
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