Dentures are a quick and affordable solution to missing teeth that can help you restore confidence in your smile. While they don’t always offer the same strength or comfort as other tooth replacement options, there are many kinds of dentures available to suit your needs.
Dentures should be replaced every 5-7 years, but what happens if you have a broken denture before that time is up? Should you shell out money for new dentures or go through with saving the damaged one? Your dentist is the most suitable person to advise on how to fix broken dentures, as well as which denture is the best fit for your lifestyle.
Types of Dentures
At Available Dental Care, we offer three unique denture options to suit your needs. These include:
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Plastic dentures
By far the most affordable option, plastic dentures provide a quick turnaround time for an immediate fix for missing teeth.
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Flexi-dentures
Modern technology has brought about the inception of new, more flexible partial metal-free dentures. With flexi-dentures, the teeth attach to a flesh-coloured flexible base that fits over your gums.
These also feature clasps that grip the surrounding natural teeth for additional support. flexi-dentures are a reliable, stable option because of the close fit to your gums.
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Metal dentures
Metal dentures are the strongest option available and often considered the most hygienic option as well. They can make them smaller than plastic dentures, so they are more comfortable.
The style of denture you select affects its longevity. For example, plastic dentures used as immediate dentures following the removal of a natural tooth may only last a year, whereas you can expect a full set of metal or acrylic dentures to last up to seven years. You should also talk to your dentist about fixing broken dentures in case they become damaged.
How to Fix Broken Dentures?
If you do a web search on “how to fix broken dentures,” you’ll turn up plenty of DIY methods that claim you should have a denture repair kit and glue handy in your home.
This is not the right solution, and you should never try to repair your dentures yourself. Take-home kits for fixing dentures result in poorly repaired dentures and an ill-fitting prosthesis that negatively affects your gums and surrounding teeth.
You also need to be wary of self-repair methods because you’re putting the broken denture back into your mouth, exposing your body to whatever materials are on or in the denture. Toxic glues that you might have lying around your house are not a safe or appropriate way to repair broken dentures.
When you arrive at the dental practice, ensure you have all the broken denture pieces so that the repairs can be performed more easily. Just like with your natural teeth, any damage to a denture should be addressed quickly to try to save the device, rather than having to purchase a brand new one.
For the most part, your dentist can easily repair complete and partial dentures. A broken denture can often be repaired fairly quickly, minimising the time you have to go without it. If there are cracks or a small chip in the teeth or the gum portions of the denture, your dentist can send it to the lab for repair as these are relatively common occurrences.
The damaged area of a broken denture typically indicates that this part of the denture is receiving the most strain. Your dentist may choose to reinforce that portion of the device during repairs with metal mesh to try to prevent the same thing from happening again.
If an acrylic denture simply needs relining to improve a fit that has changed over time, this is something dentists can do in the office if the change is minor. Relining involves adding additional acrylic resin to the denture.
If your dentures break in half, the chances of fixing them are not as high. If the break is clean and no pieces are missing, a repair might still be possible. However, if small fragments of the denture are absent, the denture’s alignment will be off. If this happens, the best option is to replace the denture with a new one.
How to Prevent Broken Dentures?
To avoid damaging your dentures, you need to care for them properly. This means handling them carefully and cleaning the dentures according to the directions of your dentist. You should never use a regular toothbrush to brush dentures because the abrasive ingredients might cause discolouration or remove gloss. Always use a soft-bristled brush to avoid scratching your dentures.
Never use extremely hot or cold water when cleaning your dentures. Room temperature is the safest choice to avoid warping the dentures, so they no longer fit your mouth.
Book Your Consultation Today
If you have missing or damaged teeth that need repair or replacement, our team at Available Dental Care can help. We offer multiple options for tooth replacement, including dentures and dental implant procedures.
To schedule an appointment and discuss what missing tooth treatments are right for your smile, contact us on (02) 4062 8763 today.
Note: Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.