"Can broken dentures be repaired?"
This is a very common question patients ask when they call our office after a denture mishap. Fortunately, the majority of denture failures can be repaired. If you read on, I'll get a bit more specific about the different kinds of denture failure and what can be done (and how long repairs take!).
Dentures are under heavy wear and tear cycles on a daily basis. Specifically, eating, tooth grinding and other functions can place tremendous force on your denture. When dentures crack or break, the hope is that a denture repair can salvage them. So what kind of defects and failures can be fixed?
Partial dentures are made of acrylic and cast metal. Specifically, the teeth and pink gum portions consist of acrylic and the clasps or "clips" consist of cast metal. If a tooth chips, you can repair it. If the pink gum acrylic chips or cracks, you can repair it. And, if a metal clip breaks, you can repair that, too! What's even better news is that most of these repairs can be done in a single day, and at fairly low cost! So, you shouldn't have to go for an extended period without your denture. How convenient!
Complete dentures consist entirely of acrylic. No metal involved. However, any cracking or fracture of the acrylic whether with teeth or the pink gum portion, can be repaired. At our clinic, we typically view the fractured area as an area of the denture that is under excessive force. So, we have our lab repair the fracture and embed a metal mesh as reinforcement within the acrylic. And, no, you won't feel the metal!
You can repair a full fracture of your complete denture. The main factor favouring a successful repair is that the 2 sides of the broken denture fit back together perfectly (which is the most common scenario). Very rarely, smaller pieces of acrylic break off and are lost. This becomes a much more difficult repair and so you might need to have a new denture made.
Denture relines are a type of denture alteration or repair. For some patients, their jawbone changes slowly over time. So, the fit and "hold" of a denture will go down as the jaw changes shape. During a denture reline, your Dentist uses a soft putty or gel to fill in any gaps. Then, they send the denture to a Denture Lab where a technician converts the liner into permanent pink acrylic. Eliminating gaps in this way can drastically improve the fit and retention of your Denture.
Thank you for reading today, and I hope that you found some new and useful information in the article!
Thanks for reading today's article. If you'd like more information on Dentures, please check out my Ultimate FAQ Guide to Dentures.
If you would like to discuss a transition to dentures or arrange a no-charge Meet & Greet appointment, give us a call at (519) 576-8160 or request a consult with me here. We love providing denture services to our patients and are grateful to have been voted Best Denture Provider in the Waterloo Region Record for both 2018 and 2019!
This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your Kitchener Dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a dental condition or treatment.
