A positioning feedback tool for a dental appliance takes the form of a flexible appearance strip for simulating the appearance of an installed dental appliance on a patient wearer. Dental appliances, such as dentures, rest on the gums of a wearer as functional replacements of teeth. The flexible appearance strip has visual images of dental elements (teeth) for replacing the natural teeth, and depict the size, spacing and color of the dental elements in the finished appliance. Dental elements are affixed onto a foundation mold for resembling a natural row of teeth. The foundation mold receives an imprint of the gums of the wearer, and also receives the dental elements to define the placement of the dental elements. Prior to tooth placement in the foundation mold, the flexible appearance strip is disposed against the installed foundation mold so that the patient may visualize the appearance of the finished appliance.