Dentures Cracked: What To Do?

Dentures are made of a plastic acrylic resin. As a patient continues to age his or her mouth changes shape. This causes the involuntary movement of dentures from their original position in the patient's mouth, thereby becoming loose. If not relined, loose-fitting dentures may eventually break off due to the repetitive flexing of the plastic resin whenever the patient is chewing and/or talking.

This article provides a brief overview of what patients can do when their dentures crack.

DIY Denture-Crack Repair

A hands-on kind of patient can choose to undertake DIY repair of cracks on their dentures. This would involve the use of denture adhesives to glue pieces of the denture back together before installing the prosthetic device back in the mouth.

However, the mentioned DIY solution is only an option for patients whose dentures have one clear line of fracture as opposed to having several cracks. DIY repair is also not an option for patients whose dentures are shattered.

In the event of extensive cracking and/or shattering of dentures, the use of an adhesive will only help to attach the pieces back together temporarily as the dentures await a more complex repair procedure.

The hands-on patient should understand that "super glue" cannot be used as a substitute for denture adhesives. This is because super glue and other ordinary glues are manufactured using powerful solvents that can melt the plastic acrylic resin around the edges of the prosthetic device(s), thereby causing their further distortion.

Shipping Dentures To A Private Online Laboratory

Patients who would rather not undertake DIY repair of cracks on their dentures can have the prosthetic devices shipped to an online dental laboratory for the repair exercise.

Online dental laboratories offer patients the convenience of having their dentures repaired without leaving the comfort of their homes. Dentures are often sent to and from the patient via post or via a special delivery.

Patients who choose to have their dentures repaired at an online-based dental laboratory should bear in mind that the technicians at the laboratory will not be in a position to change the fit of the prosthetic device. Cracked dentures will only be restored to their original state before the crack. Thus, cracked dentures that were previously ill-fitting will still not be a perfect fit.

Also, such patients will have to fit the prosthetic devices on their own once they receive the dentures via post.

Lastly, patients with cracked dentures can book an appointment with their preferred dental health practitioner for services related to the denture repair.