What should I do when I’ve broken my denture?

Having your dentures break can be frustrating. Find some tips below on how do deal with your broken denture and give us a call on 04 888 1444 if you want to book an appointment to get your denture repaired.

Can a broken denture be repaired?

Dentures that are broken through the pink plastic or with a tooth breaking off can generally be repaired. Sometimes the fracture can be a sign of an underlying problem that may need to be addressed. The plastic in dentures can get old and hard from use which may make fractures more likely. In cases like this we may be able to repair your old denture so you have something to wear while we make a new one for you.

Can I just glue my broken denture back together?

Sometime people try to glue their broken dentures back together themselves. We do not recommend you do this for several reasons.

One of the roles of saliva is to start the process of digesting your food. As such saliva is quite good at breaking down household glues. This means that it is unlikely that the glue will last long and you are exposing yourself to the nasty chemicals in the glues.

It is also very important that when repairing the denture that the parts go back together in the same position so the denture works properly and does not hurt you. When home repairs are attempted this can make it more difficult and costly to have the denture repaired professionally because the parts no longer fit back together cleanly.

How is a professional denture repair different?

When we repair a denture we can take molds of your mouth that can help us get the parts back together in the same place. We can then repair the denture by cutting out the crack and replacing the gap with the same type of plastic. We will polish the repair so it is smooth and easy to clean. Finally we will check the fit of the denture again after the repair and make sure nothing has moved in the repair process.

How long does it take to repair a broken denture?

We know that being without your teeth can be quite limiting so we aim to get repairs done as quickly as possible. In some cases this can be by the next day for simple breaks. We can talk about timings when you come in to see us. If you want to book an appointment for a repair give us a call as we may have some appointment slots that are not available to book online. 04 888 1444