Broken Denture

Dentures aren’t the easiest dental appliance to live with, but most patients find they get used to them over time, eventually fitting them into their routine as effortlessly as if they have always had them. However, the situation can be made more complicated by cracks or breakages affecting the dentures, they can make the simplest of tasks very difficult, such as biting, chewing, swallowing, and even just speaking. Not only is this inconvenient, sometimes painful, it can be very embarrassing – particularly if the patient is expected to speak or perform their professional duties in a public arena. Getting broken dentures repaired quickly is of paramount importance to most people who wear them regularly; living without your teeth for any length of time can be detrimental to your level of confidence and can seriously alter the way you look. You might not think that just removing your teeth could have such an effect on your appearance, but dentures are not just aesthetic devices, they are also used to support lips, gums, and cheeks, without them, these features succumb to gravity to a greater extent, appearing hollow and sunken, or even changing shape altogether.

Why have my dentures broken?

There are lots of reasons why your dental appliance might break – they won’t last forever, no matter how durable they are. Most dentists will provide dentures that last for about six or seven years in good condition, after which time they may become loose around your gums or suffer some type of damage that prevents them from functioning properly. The fit of your dentures will change over time, simply because they won’t adapt and re-shape to comfortably mould themselves to your aging face; as we get older our jaws and mouths change shape, causing the dentures to loosen or break, because they don’t fit as they once did.

Dentures as created using very hard-wearing material, normally some kind of acrylic resin or strong plastic, which also has some degree of flexibility, so that the device won’t irritate the gums. Although replacement teeth can perform brilliantly and look natural, when it comes down to it, there’s just no substitute for the real thing, this is why they will eventually break or have to be thrown away. Even with the high grade materials used to create dentures, the appliances can’t maintain functionality and durability in the damp environment of the mouth for the length of time a human being is expected to live, and they are also likely to break down as a result of daily wear and tear, when worn for extended periods of time.

In addition, it’s possible to damage your dentures if they are badly cared for; you should try to keep them in water or dental solution when you are not wearing them, this stops them from cracking or breaking completely. Injuries can also affect your dentures; blows to the face can cause irreparable damage to devices like this, as well as distorting the gum line and causing them to fit incorrectly. Some structural loss can be fixed, but it’s often better to be fitted for another denture, in cases where the damage is just too severe.

How can my broken denture be repaired?

That depends on how badly it has been damaged, how old the device is, and what sort of condition your mouth is currently in. Minor cracks and fractures are not too difficult to deal with, as they can be smoothed over using dental adhesive, which fills them in and forms a solid bond with the resin, leaving the denture watertight and structurally sound. Sometimes the synthetic teeth can come loose or break away; this doesn’t affect the performance of the denture, just the way it appears. Broken teeth are relatively easy to repair, all the dentist has to do is prepare a replacement tooth that matches the colour of the rest of the denture, and is proportionally sized. Chips can be repaired using composite bonding material, or the dentist can choose to remove the damaged fragments and replace them with a completely new tooth.

Fixing the actual denture itself can be slightly more complicated, but not impossible. It’s generally agreed that clean breaks, i.e. ones that don’t involve lots of splintered pieces, are easier to repair and maintain a high level of performance, but areas that have worn away or disintegrated are usually deemed to be too difficult to work with.

Thanks to modern dental technology, there are lots of processes and materials that can help with repairing a broken denture, so don’t despair if you damage yours, it’s possible that it could be fixed, as long as you keep any loose parts and make an appointment with your dentist at the next available opportunity. If you would like some help with a damaged appliance, call the Pearl Dental Clinic now, their helpful team members are experienced with all kinds of dental problems, and could help rebuild your denture or replace it with a new one.

Can I fix my broken denture myself?

There are denture repair kits on the market, but it’s generally not advisable to try any kind of DIY job on your teeth, it’s best to leave that kind of thing to the professionals. However, if an emergency arises, you could use a home kit for basic repairs, just remember that these repairs are temporary, you really should see your dentist to have your denture fixed or replaced, if you want it to last long-term. If you do chose a dental repair kit to fix your device while you wait for an appointment, be sure to pick one that is FDA approved and contains dental adhesive – don’t be tempted to try any household glue, this could seriously damage your denture or your mouth.

To avoid further damage to your teeth, make sure you clean them carefully every day, and soak them overnight with proper denture solution. Also, it’s a good idea to get into a routine with brushing and storing, that way you can avoid leaving them next to the sink or accidentally throwing them away.