Fact Checked

Denture Repair 101: Everything You Need to Know

Written by Fernanda Elizalde

January 23, 2023

Medically Reviewed

By Dr. Greg Grillo, DDS

Dentures, both partial dentures and full, are typically made of strong materials like metal and acrylic and are designed to last a long time. As a result, dentures sometimes break. When accidents happen, denture repairs are necessary. Then there's material fatigue due to repeated use, which can also weaken your dentures. When you wind up with broken or cracked dentures, it's time to get them repaired as soon as possible. This is when a professional denture repair kit is required.

Continue reading to learn about the common causes of broken dentures, including broken teeth, a need to replace loose teeth, mend cracks, or repair a damaged denture and what to do if your denture breaks, or even one broken tooth and how to keep your false teeth in good condition.

tongue cleanser

THE MOST COMMON CAUSES OF A BROKEN DENTURE

Various causes contribute to dentures breaking, including ordinary wear and strain. Dentures, as durable as they often are, are subjected to a great deal of stress and tension during their lifetime, with all of the grinding, biting, and pressure they endure every day, for years on end. As a result, the more your dentures age, the more likely they are to crack and loosen, resulting in blisters, discomfort, denture reline, broken teeth or missing teeth, and other oral health concerns. Eating hard meals, thermal damage, and ingesting acidic foods and drinks are among the most prevalent causes of damaged dentures regularly in need of an emergency repair kit or other denture repair kit.

COMMON DENTURE PROBLEMS

You may require an emergency repair kit to temporarily fix your dentures for various reasons as a temporary solution until you visit your dental professional. To begin, it is critical to recognize that a poor fit might cause your dentures to grind up against themselves when chewing.

This might break your dentures easily or cause a missing tooth while eating. Furthermore, dentures are not designed to survive indefinitely, and you can end up with completely broken dentures. The denture material thins and weakens with age, leaving your dentures vulnerable to small cracks and damage and needing a denture repair kit.

Dentures are not bulletproof; dentures break easily, and they frequently shatter when they drop on the ground and end up with a broken edge or worse (despite the fact that they might be quite slippery). The gums beneath your dentures may begin to shift over time. Typically, the area shrinks, causing your dentures to fit less snugly than they should. This might lead to cracked or damaged dentures.

However, it might be challenging to determine if your dentures need to be fitted correctly, so make sure you see your dental professional frequently. Most dental professionals recommend visiting your dentist regularly to check your bite, mend cracks, and perform other maintenance.

A damaged pair of dentures is highly inconvenient and can negatively influence your quality of life. The inability to chew properly is a significant concern that can result from broken dentures. This might result in stomach and digestive problems, adding to the discomfort. If your dentures are broken, repairing fractured dentures should be a top priority.

If the gum area beneath your dentures has changed and your dentures don’t fit anymore, you may need to have them repaired to work correctly again, a process known by many dentists as relining  the denture. Denture relining is often a simple and painless procedure, allowing you to return to wearing your dentures in a day or less.

It's easy to understand why it's critical to get your dentures fixed as soon as possible, and it's just as simple to locate a dentist who can do it. There are likely to be emergency denture repair businesses near you that can have your dentures back in working condition in no time.

WHEN DO YOU NEED DENTURE REPAIR?

When you take good care of dentures, they should last 5-10 years before needing to replace them. Still, seeing your dental professional regularly for a dental examination will guarantee that you can repair any growing concerns with your dentures and protect them from causing more damage.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR DENTURES BREAK?

If your dentures break, instead of searching YouTube for instructions on how to repair your appliance temporarily, we urge that you arrange a repair appointment with your dentist right away. If you have a spare pair of dentures at home, that's even better: you may use them as a substitute until your primary set of dentures is restored.

CAN I REPAIR BROKEN DENTURES AT HOME?

In an emergency, you may use a home denture repair kit to perform rapid, short-term repairs to your damaged dentures without causing more harm. However, this is only a temporary fix; you should see your dentist and have your broken dentures fixed by a dental professional.

LED Electric Toothbrush

DIY DENTURE REPAIR

Broken dentures are upsetting. Remember: you're not alone in this.

Each year, dentures are fabricated for around 15 percent of the population that is toothless.

There are almost 36 million people living in the United States who do not have any teeth, and another 120 million people in the country are missing at least one tooth. In the subsequent twenty years, it is anticipated that these figures will continue to rise.

Thus, over 27 million Americans may question how to restore damaged dentures yearly.

How a denture break determines whether you can mend it at home before consulting a prosthodontist. Is a pink acrylic component missing? Is a tooth broken or missing? Denture broken?

Depending on your issue, you may be able to temporarily repair your dentures/ A prosthodontist with a dental lab can fix a damaged denture in most cases as this option is better and safer.

CALL YOUR DENTIST FIRST

Call your dentist or prosthodontist immediately, whether or not you can fix your denture. Clarify. Tell them where your denture broke. Make a quick appointment. Emergency repairs are temporary.

REMOVE DAMAGED DENTURES

Wait to wear damaged dentures until your visit, even if they fit. Damaged dentures can cause cuts, blisters, gum inflammation, and other oral health issues. Wearing them may break them further. Instead, remove your dentures, gather the broken pieces, and keep them until your visit so your dentist or prosthodontist can observe what is broken.

BUY A DENTURE REPAIR KIT

Buy a denture repair kit before visiting your dentist or prosthodontist if your dental professional recommends it. Most pharmacies and drugstores have alternatives.

Most kits contain a tiny bottle of acrylic resin or other adhesives for bonding material. Some also replace lost denture teeth.

PROCEED WITH CARE

Before starting, read and follow all denture repair kit instructions. If you don't, you risk harming your dentures even more. Manufacturer instructions differ, but you should:

  • If you mix the glue yourself, don't contact the kit's bonding substance.
  • To ensure your repaired dentures fit well, use a tiny quantity of resin and scrape off any excess.
  • Maintain denture alignment throughout the repair.
  • Wear your restored dentures when they dry.

Another warning: only use the glue and bonding substance in your repair kit. Quick-drying glues aren't waterproof. Most importantly, they contain dangerous chemicals.

Denture repair kits are temporary. Prosthodontists treat fractures permanently, unlike other products.

HOW TO AVOID DENTURE BREAKAGE

As previously mentioned, the main stressors for your dentures are time and daily chewing stress. As a result, your best option for avoiding damaged dentures is to ensure adequate denture maintenance and adherence to a proper oral hygiene program. This includes brushing your dentures daily over a sink of water with a small towel put in the sink to lessen the impact if you accidentally drop your dentures; properly rinsing them after removal, and soaking them overnight in a glass of cleaning solution.

denture repair cost

WHAT IS THE COST OF HAVING DENTURES RELINED?

A reline adds fresh material to a denture to enhance its fit. Denture relining is typically relatively inexpensive. The overall cost will be determined by several factors, including:

  • The relining required
  • The material used to make the denture 
  • The spot where a reline will take place such as a dental office or lab
  • If expert repair is required

Do not attempt to repair your broken dentures yourself. People frequently screw things up and inflict further harm on dentures while you try to fix them. Always get your dentures repaired by a dental expert for a better experience and safer results.

CAN YOU FIX PARTIAL DENTURES?

Denture acrylic is used to make the teeth and gum section of partial dentures. Metal clasps and clips are used. If a tooth chips, the gum material cracks or fractures, or the clasp breaks, it can typically be fixed in a single day at a low cost.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO FIX PARTIAL DENTURES?

In most cases, getting your partial dentures fixed will cost between $100 and $200—denture relining costs between $3-500.

Remember, these are only temporary solutions, and you should still visit a dentist even if you use a denture repair kit to replace loose teeth, fix breaks, or do other denture care.

The Dentemp DIY denture kit is a well-known zinc-free temporary solution. Dentemp tooth repair kit has an advanced zinc-free formula denture repair mixture directly made for repairing denture teeth quickly. The Dentip repair kit has an easy-to-use liquid for flexible dentures, but a skilled technician is still recommended to fix them.

HOW TO AVOID DENTURE DAMAGE

Steel is not used to make dentures. In reality, the materials used to hold your dentures and the materials used to form the teeth on your dentures are often readily damaged.

Misaligned or ill-fitting dentures may rub or grind against one other needlessly.

If your dentures do not fit properly, they may shatter while you eat. If dentures are dropped, they can easily break or crack. Even minor cracks might cause your dentures to lose shape, making them hard to wear or use properly.

Because your dentures are crucial to your daily life, you should use caution when handling them. The American Dental Association has produced a helpful denture maintenance guide, which we have paraphrased here.

Your gums and bones beneath your dentures might continue to alter after they are produced, causing them to become loose and, as a result, more vulnerable to harm.

However, it can be challenging to recognize when dentures are no longer fitting properly.

As a result, it is essential to visit your dentist frequently. They can examine your mouth and dentures to ensure they are still correctly fitting. If not, your dentist may advise you to have your dentures relined.

You should also regularly evaluate your dentures for damage, such as minor cracks, fractures, or irregularities that you have not seen previously.

When cleaning your dentures, look for any new indents or damage. Detecting damage early allows you to visit a dentist before it is too late, reducing the time you are without your dentures.

Place a cloth below your dentures when cleaning them. They might be slippery and difficult to hold. If you drop them inadvertently, the towel will assist in keeping them from breaking.

Careful handling and regular office visits to check your dentures can help you avoid denture damage and inconvenient denture emergencies.

One solution is also Valplast dentures, a new brand that is almost indestructible.

CONCLUSION

Broken dentures don't have to spell disaster. Requesting an emergency dental appointment with your dentist as soon as possible allows you to resume eating and speak as quickly as possible.

A spare set of dentures will be helpful while your dentures are being fixed. Remember, prevention is always preferable to treatment! You may significantly extend the life of your dentures if you properly care for them and visit your dentist regularly.

FAQS

CAN I FIX MY DENTURES MYSELF?

Most dentists recommend that you not attempt to repair your dentures at home. In an emergency, however, you can get a denture repair kit, allowing you to make basic repairs to your dentures. After performing a home repair, you should have your dentures professionally repaired or maybe even fully replaced as soon as you can.

CAN DENTURES BE REPAIRED?

If the dentures are slightly out of place and no significant breaks have occurred, the dentist can usually perform denture repair to restore the device entirely. If the problem is identified early on, it is possible to resolve it. Dentures that are severely misaligned may not be repairable.

WHAT KIND OF GLUE CAN YOU FIX DENTURES WITH?

Dental-grade resin is the best glue, but it can be expensive if you're on a tight budget. Instead of using super adhesives or glues, try acrylic resin. It can be costly because it is only intended for use by dentists. However, this is the most durable type and is intended for dental use.

CAN I USE GORILLA GLUE TO REPAIR DENTURES?

Our answer is simple: no, you should not use superglue to secure your dentures. Primarily, traditional store-bought superglue does not bond well with dentures made of acrylic and metal.

WHAT IS AN EMERGENCY DENTURE REPAIR KIT?

Emergency denture repair kits generally have everything you need to fix breaks and cracks and to replace loose teeth at home.

Snow Whitening Mouthwash