acetal background
acetal background

Alternative to Metal Partial:

Resin-Based Zirlux Acetal Partial Dentures

Toughest non-metal material on the market. Available in Clear or Tooth Shade resin.

What is a Zirlux Acetal Partial Denture?

A Zirlux Acetal partial denture is a resin-based partial denture made from a special copolymer that is semi-flexible when thin and more rigid as the resin becomes thicker. This makes it an ideal material for fabricating a variety of tooth-supported removable prosthetics. Since it absorbs virtually no water, the appliance is less likely to develop stains or odors. Acetal behaves like a much-improved version of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), only stronger and more flexible, allowing Acetal resin to be formed into a thinner, more comfortable removable restoration that your dental patient will love.

Natural Appearance
Digitally Designed and Milled
Slightly Flexible for Greater Retention
Precise Fit
Available in Clear or 16 Tooth Shades
200% Lighter than Cr/Co
Gentle on Natural Dentition

Special Features of Zirlux Acetal

Zirlux Acetal partial frameworks are designed and milled from a void-free disk of copolymer using CAD/CAM technology for a precise fit. Flexible partial dentures are tissue-borne; Zirlux Acetal resin is different because it is semi-flexible. Its strength allows the manufactured framework to be supported by the existing dentition, much like a metal framework. Clasps are made from the same resin material. They have elastic memory and are designed to engage securely into the natural undercuts of abutment teeth for maximum hold.

Acetal Resin
Patient Smiling

When to choose Zirlux Acetal over other types of partial dentures

Resin-based Zirlux Acetal is an ideal framework option for patients that are sensitive or allergic to free monomer used in traditional denture acrylics. Esthetically-conscious patients will enjoy having a partial denture that visually disappears in the mouth. This framework is suitable for partial dentures, Nesbit partials, or as a transitional appliance during healing for implant cases.

Zirlux Acetal Material Properties

Zirlux Acetal is made from 99.9% pure polyoxymethylene (POM), a highly crystalline and millable thermoplastic copolymer. Acetal resin properties include high tensile and flexural strength, fatigue resistance, low moisture absorption, and excellent dimensional stability.

Acetal has been successfully used in dentistry worldwide for more than 30 years in an injectable form. This material now comes in a millable form, which eliminates the problem of shrinkage during processing. Acetal resin cuts cleanly and quickly using either wet or dry milling methods.

Milled acetal resin
Caring for Acetal Resin

How to Care for Zirlux Partials

After meals, rinse the appliance under cool, running water to remove any debris or food particles. Use a soft bristle denture brush with a denture paste or liquid antibacterial soap to clean the appliance.

Never use any abrasives such as toothpaste meant for use on enamel, powdered household cleanser, or a hard-bristled brush to clean the partial denture.

Can you add teeth to a Zirlux Acetal Partial?

As a Zirlux Acetal provider, Stomadent Dental Lab has the equipment and expertise necessary to quickly and easily make reasonable minor repairs and additions to the resin partial using genuine Zirlux materials.

Lab Technician

Zirlux Acetal Partials: Pros and Cons

Esthetic, durable, and metal-free tooth-borne removable partial dentures are made from Zirlux Acetal resin by CAD/CAM technology to exact specifications for a precise fit. The patient will appreciate the comfort, ease of wear, lack of a metallic taste, and no thermal conductivity when drinking cold or hot beverages. Like their metal counterparts, denture teeth must be physically bonded to the resin framework with denture acrylic or a monomer-free acrylic substitute.

The teeth, hard tissue, and surrounding soft tissue of both arches may be digitally scanned using a chairside scanner. Data files are electronically transferred to the dental lab for incorporation into the digital processing workflow.

In the absence of a chairside scanner or for complex cases that involve missing teeth in multiple quadrants, bite registrations and impressions taken in scannable impression trays are sent to our dental laboratory. The records are scanned by a laboratory technician using a three-dimensional scanner that takes hundreds of images of the physical records at all angles in all dimensions.

With either method, the collected data files are used to construct virtually articulated three-dimensional models of the patient’s dentition that can be rotated and viewed from any angle or any plane in space. This allows the partial to be designed via computer-aided design (CAD) and fabricated by computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).

The millable copolymer material is available in VITA shades A1, A2, A3.5, B1, plus G2 (bleaching shade), and P1 (pink). These color choices allow for a wide range of color-matching options that work well in many situations and with different tooth configurations.

An appliance made from this resin can last up to 10 years, depending on parafunctional habits and patient care.

Hybrid Partials: Zirlux Acetal Resin with Metal Frameworks

It is possible to combine Acetal resin partial denture elements with a Wironium or Titanium framework to create a hybrid partial that possesses the benefits and esthetic appeal of tooth-colored semi-flexible clasps with the added strength and rigidity of a metal framework. This option is particularly important in the case of free-end or long-span partials, where partials made from flexible or semi-flexible materials don’t always function ideally during mastication.

Hybrid Metal Acetal Partial Framework

Delivery and Chairside Adjustments

Because Stomadent utilizes CAD/CAM technology to produce your partial denture, it fits precisely at delivery saving all-important chair time. Should adjustments be required, they may be accomplished with the same carbide burs used to adjust the denture base resin. Minor adjustments to the clasps can be made at the chairside by heating the clasps gently with hot air (a flame will burn the material). Alternatively, clasp adjustments may be made using pre-heated pliers. Final polishing can be accomplished with pumice and rag wheel.

Why Choose Stomadent?

Stomadent Dental Laboratory is a certified provider of Zirlux Acetal products. We know the material properties intimately and understand the benefits that a CAD/CAM-produced Acetal resin partial can bring to your patient. Stomadent wants to help you think differently about removable prosthodontics. With many color options available, we can provide your patient with a beautiful, comfortable result that they never thought possible.

Compare Partial Denture Options

Acrylic

Valplast

Acetal Tooth Shade Framework

Clear Framework

CR/CO Cast Framework

Titanium Framework

Comfort Moderate Good Excellent Excellent
Best Choice
Great Great
Aesthetics Moderate Excellent Great Excellent Good Good
Stability/Fit Good Good Excellent Excellent
Best Choice
Great Great
Weight Heavy Moderate Light Light Heavy Moderate
Best Choice
Durability Moderate Great Great Great Excellent Excellent
Relinability / Repairability Easy Difficult Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
Dentition Friendly Moderate Good Excellent Excellent Moderate Good
Clasp Type Wire Metal Valplast Gingival Tooth Shade A1 - D2 Clear Metal Titanium
Manufacturing Method
Analog/Digital
Analog
Milled
Milled
Cast
Milled

Frequently Asked Questions

Laboratory working time is calculated by excluding certain factors. Specifically, the day the case arrives at the lab and any transportation time is not counted as part of the working time total. This ensures that the actual processing time within the laboratory is accurately assessed, independent of external factors.

You can conveniently send digital photos of your case, along with necessary laboratory prescriptions and identified digital photographs, to [email protected].

To send digital impressions, you’ll first need to capture the data using a chairside intraoral scanner or by digitizing physical impressions. This process typically results in .STL files. Attach these .STL files to an email along with essential case identification details in the email body. Send this information to [email protected].
CAD/CAM technology offers significant time benefits in dental framework production. For instance, frameworks made from materials like titanium can be milled directly from a solid plate, bypassing many labor-intensive steps required in traditional casting methods. This efficiency translates into shorter turnaround times, with titanium frameworks often taking fewer working days compared to their cast metal counterparts.
One alternative is the use of CAD/CAM-produced Zirlux Acetal frameworks. These frameworks are made from a semi-flexible resin material that strikes a balance between the flexibility of materials like Valplast and the rigidity of metal frameworks. Additionally, the use of tooth-colored frameworks and clasps that blend with the gingiva contributes to a highly aesthetic result.

Lets talk:  887.849.1927  |  [email protected]

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