A relatively newer type of transitional partial denture is a gasket type of denture. A gasket denture is a denture with holes, lined by a gasket of a special silicone rubber, the holes thus providing space for remaining natural teeth to emerge into the oral cavity through the denture. Gasket denture is the simplest removable partial denture the aim of which is to preserve the few remaining natural teeth with a goal of torque reduction on such remaining abutments. Furthermore, this type of a denture is very aesthetically pleasing as it does not have cast or wire clasps. Moreover, it helps to seal the denture through the undercuts present around the remaining natural teeth and thus helps with retention of the partial and prevention of food particles seeping through the hole openings underneath the denture base. Its fabrication requires special armamentarium and materials such as heat curing type of soft liner from Germany which is processed under pressure for 10 hours in the dental laboratory. In Shmitsman’s Denture Clinic we had over time gotten away from using various chair – side types of a soft gasket sealing materials due their porous and weak structure resulting in such material gradually peeling away from the hard denture base and staining due to bacterial build up. Up to date we had fitted our patients with hundreds of gasket type of transitional partials with overwhelmingly excellent results.
