Currently, most dentures are made with acrylic (methyl methacrylate combined with a polymer) which has been colored to look like gum tissue. While this material is strong, it is not indestructible. Sometimes, teeth will fracture from the denture or the pink-colored gum tissue material will crack or break completely. Fortunately, denture acrylic is easily and quickly repaired in most cases. Even if you have lost a tooth completely (maybe the dog ate it??) a new tooth can be added to your denture without much trouble.
Nylon materials, which are sometimes used for flexible partials are much more time consuming to repair. The fee to repair them is also more than repairing acrylic due to the amount of labor involved for this type of repair. Fortunately, nylon flexible partials don’t normally break, although it is fairly common for a tooth to “pop off” and need to be reattached to the nylon base.
Caste metal partials can be repaired in some cases. If a clasp is broken off, and there is an acrylic area near the broken clasp, a new wire clasp can usually be added. If a major connector (the large, metal area that joins the acrylic areas) is broken, this is nearly impossible to successfully repair. In this situation… you’re likely looking at getting a new partial.
What Should I Do if My Denture Breaks Completely in Half?
In the case of an acrylic denture which is broken in half, it is the tendency of most people to want to use superglue to hold the denture together in hopes that it will take care of the problem. While this is tempting to do, it usually doesn’t hold for very long and layers of superglue can make it difficult for the dental technicians to repair your denture correctly. This causes: cursing, weeping, and sometimes gnashing of teeth.
The best thing to do if your denture breaks in half is to immediately take it to your dentist (or better yet, send it to: denturehelper.com) for repair. If you have a spare denture- Great!! You’ll be fine for a day or two while your denture is repaired. If you don’t have a spare, it’s time to get one made or you can always try wearing the “bubba” teeth from the local vending machine.
If you’re on vacation and have an emergency with a broken denture, then it may be time to try some superglue. Test fit the denture back together a few times before adding the superglue. Once you’ve successfully glued the denture, keep in mind that it probably won’t hold up to well for eating. Just wear it for pictures and in public, but don’t plan on chewing through a nice steak, even if it’s very rare.
If you ever have a question as to whether your denture or partial can be repaired or not, drop us an email at: denturehelper@gmail.com You can also attach a picture of your denture and we’ll give you a yes or no answer–For FREE!! What a bargain!!
