Denture Repairs, Really?

Just like many other dental appliances, dentures need maintenance and repairs. This may be due to an erosion of the material they are made from or only due to fatigue. Dental fractures are also quite common for dental appliances that have been used for a while. Basically, the more you use it, the more likely you are to require a visit to the dentist for repair.

What Causes Breakages and Fractures?

According to research, most fractures are as a result of poor fitting. Micro-fractures are created due to the force applied on the denture. The denture sets need to be correctly aligned — both the upper and the lower one. Misalignment means that biting and chewing exerts more pressure on one area, which will lead to a crack — an indicator that the denture needs to be repaired. Dropping the denture or any other forceful impact may cause fractures on the denture. This may cause the denture to break at any area of the dental appliance, including either the 'gum line' (pink part) or even the teeth themselves. If the metal clasps are distorted or damaged, it's not recommended that you put them back in.

Time Factor

Thin and worn-out dentures are easy to fracture. Uneven sets cause the dentures to break at one point due to the excess and uneven exertion of force at that point. This, however, is not the only cause of the unequal distribution of force. Worn teeth sometimes cause the same effect on the dentures as they lead to poor distribution of the pressure exerted when chewing or biting.

How is it done?

Relining the dentures is a common denture repair tactic. As time goes by, the shape of the mouth changes to a point where the denture no longer fits and needs adjusting. Early detection of misalignment of the denture sets gives the dentist a chance to add some material and adjust accordingly to improve the fit. Partials and dentures are made of an acrylic resin which is beautiful, comfortable to the mouth, long-lasting and, most importantly, repairable. The denture can be reinforced by adding acrylic.

Play Your Part

Always be careful when handling dentures! One should not always assume that the dentures are as firm as they were when they were first fitted; they may slip or break. Protect the dentures from unnecessary impact such as dropping them in the sink. One should also keep a close eye on the dentures to detect any fatigue and always report anything unusual to your dentist.