If you wear dentures and they break, you can find yourself in a real predicament.  But what should you do?  Although you could pick up a DIY repair kit from your local pharmacy, the results can be unreliable, and it's far more advisable to make an emergency appointment with your dental clinic.  But can you dentures actually be permanently repaired or will you need to buy a whole new set?  Read on for more information on how your dentist can help you.

Professional emergency denture repair

If your dentures break, you should try to see your dentist as soon as possible.  The dentist will be able to take the appropriate measures to fix your dentures properly.  Don't be tempted to simply cobble your dentures back together and hope that they will last!

Your dentist will take the following measures to fix your broken dentures:

  1. If your denture is broken completely in two, the dentist will tack the halves together using a very mild form of acrylic bonding material, ensuring that the two pieces are perfectly fitted together.  
  2. A plaster cast or putty mould will be laid onto the fitting surface of the denture, (the part that comes into contact with your gums) and allowed to set.  
  3. Once the mould has set, it will be removed from the denture to form a model of the original dentures.  The temporary acrylic tack will be drilled away from the denture.  
  4. A tiny amount of acrylic will be removed from the broken surfaces of the denture, and the surfaces will then be chamfered and polished.  
  5. The denture is then placed on the model.  The dentist will mix together some acrylic putty and apply it to the broken surfaces of the denture, which is then cured in a hydro flask under very high pressure.  
  6. Finally, the dentist will trim off any excess putty, and the denture will be polished and buffed to a perfect, glossy finish.

So don't panic if your dentures break.  The dentist can usually repair them for you professionally while you wait, probably in less time than it would take you to buy a DIY kit and attempt to fix them yourself, with potentially calamitous consequences.

In conclusion

If your dentures break, don't panic and resort to effecting an emergency DIY repair yourself.  Always make an appointment to visit your dental clinic as soon as you can to have your dentures repaired professionally as described above.

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