Whether during a date, an important meeting, or a social occasion, having a denture break is a major inconvenience and, though not necessarily a life-threatening situation, it’s not something you want to leave unchecked. On top of being embarrassing and unsightly, broken dentures can affect a person’s speech or eating so it’s wise to get them repaired as quickly as possible. Before we take a closer look at what to do if you discover a broken denture, let’s cover a few ways dentures can break.
How Dentures Break
A broken denture may be immediately noticeable, but it might also take some time to become apparent. Of course, one of the easiest ways dentures break is by being dropped. Practically anything can suffer some form of damage after a fall, and dentures are no exception.
Dentures can break as you’re enjoying a meal or snack. Although modern dentures are relatively robust, they’re still susceptible to cracks, chips, and falling out when eating — just like regular teeth. This is especially true when eating foods like hard candies or even certain vegetables, fruits, or nuts. Loose or poorly fitting dentures could also cause pressure spots that can make dentures more likely to break when eating hard foods.
Last but not least, even pets have been known to break or damage dentures! It’s important to keep your dentures safe whenever you remove them and to store them in places that can’t be easily reached by curious animals.
What to Do if Your Dentures Break
The first thing you should do is to figure out what exactly happened to your dentures. Significant damage like broken teeth or chipped acrylic is easy to spot, as is obvious damage like dentures breaking in half. Whatever the case, you should not try and repair your dentures at home.
While denture repair kits can be easily purchased online and in most local pharmacies, they are only meant for emergency repairs and should not be seen as a permanent solution to broken dentures. Most denture specialists even advise against the use of such kits as they can sometimes even worsen existing damage. At best, you might be able to temporarily fix your dentures, however, in most cases these kits make subsequent permanent repairs more difficult or even cause irreparable damage, resulting in a costly full replacement of your dentures.
In short, the best thing you can do if your dentures break is to immediately get in touch with a professional denture clinic.
Book an Emergency Denture Repair
If you notice or think your dentures might be broken and need immediate attention, contact Hillhurst Denture Clinic today. Our qualified and professional team is here to ensure that you’re well taken care of and will have you smiling again in no time.
