Today dentists are prescribing flexible material for removable partial dentures (RPDs) because it makes a better, stronger appliance faster. Flexible material reduces chair time, eliminates invasive procedures and the cumbersome materials associated with rigid partials. In short, there is no longer any need for metal.
Metal-based RPD design is complex because it has to adapt rigid materials to a flexible environment. This leaves room for error particularly under conditions where ideal designs and clinical preparations are challenged.