Nesbit Partial | Cosmetic Dentistry

Some dental laboratories make a little single tooth replacement called a Valplast Nesbit, pictured on the right.

Valplast is the brand name of the material this appliance is usually made from. It’s a flexible plastic that can also be made translucent, which helps the esthetics of the case.It is one of the least expensive tooth replacements.

I would recommend this for a very temporary tooth replacement, rather than a permanent replacement because it has one significant disadvantage, and that is that it is so small and also removable, which makes it a risk for swallowing or otherwise losing it. The Nesbit partial used to be made with metal clasps, which added to the risk because these prongs could easily create a puncture in the digestive tract, causing a very serious situation that could require surgical intervention. The Valplast Nesbit tooth replacement is safer but not without risk.

I would rate the best single tooth replacement to be a dental implant. Second best would be a dental bridge. Third would be a conventional removable partial denture. Fourth would be a dental flipper. Fifth would be this Nesbit.

You may want to read our page about replacing a missing tooth.

—Dr. David Hall.