Your dentures will be strong enough to survive most of the stresses and strains of everyday life. Accidents can happen though, and you may find yourself with broken dentures. Here is a quick guide on what to do.
Prevention is better than a cure
The best solution is not to damage your dentures in the first place. Always treat them with care. Don't leave them lying around the house where they could be accidentally knocked onto the floor, or where children or animals could find them. When you are not using them, you should leave them in a glass of dental solution or warm water. Make sure you brush them every day so that no build-up has a chance to form, and rinse them carefully after eating. This should help you avoid cracks or breakages.
Don't try to fix them at home
It might seem that the quickest solution is to glue any broken parts together. In fact, this is not a good idea. There are compounds in household glues that will react with the plastic in the dentures and cause them to bend out of shape. This will also mean that your dentist will not be able to carry out a proper repair, as it will not be possible to get the glue off. If you have damaged the dentures by trying to glue them together, you will have to get a new set of dentures. It is also best to avoid special denture repair kits — the adhesive is not very strong, so they offer a temporary solution at best.
Contact your dentist
The only real solution is to get in touch with your dentist as quickly as possible. It may be possible for them to repair your dentures, but they will have to assess them soon after the breakage has happened to see if a repair can be carried out. It may not be possible, in which case, your dentist will have to order a new set of dentures. They will then provide you with a temporary solution in the meantime until the new dentures arrive. Although this may take some time, you can at least be sure that your dentures have been inspected by an expert.
The best course of action is to avoid breaking your dentures at all. If the worst happens though, don't try to mend them yourself — contact your dentist and have them looked at by a professional.
For more information about dentures, visit a dental office.
