What to Do if Your Dentures Break, and How to Avoid It Happening
People who wear dentures rely on these small prosthetics for more than just eating. In addition to helping you chew food properly, dentures are often closely tied to your self-esteem, helping you to smile confidently and talk without feeling self-conscious.
So it's no surprise that, your dentures breaking can have quite a devastating effect on the way you feel. For many people, it can leave them not wanting to go out and see anyone, as it seems as though everyone will notice and that they'll be judged. Although this is usually far from the truth, it doesn't stop the negative feelings.
Thankfully, if your dentures do break, depending on how severe the damage, you might be able to do a quick temporary fix until you can get them properly repaired or replaced. And you can also minimise the risk of them breaking to begin with.
Prevent breakages
There's no guarantee that you'll be able to stop your dentures being at risk of breakages, but you can certainly avoid some common causes of damage.
Take care with your food
Dentures are designed to be tough and durable, but they're not invincible. Although they can deal with hard, crunchy, and chewy foods pretty well, you should be careful when you're eating them. In particular, things like boiled sweets and tough steak can be problematic.
Be aware of how they feel
Over time, the structure of your mouth gradually changes shape. Dentures, too, slowly warp due to hot and cold foods. Both of these things mean your dentures won't fit as well after a while, which can make them fragile and more prone to breaking. If they start to feel ill-fitting, see a dentist.
Change them regularly
Dentures don't last forever, and the materials will weaken eventually. Keeping them for too long creates the risk of them breaking at the slightest bit of pressure, so keep to the replacement schedule recommended by your dentist.
Quick home fixes
Tooth broken off
If this happens, you can probably put it back in place long enough to get to the dentist, but you won't be able to chew where the tooth is. Simply use a small amount of denture adhesive to secure the tooth back in place. If you don't have any, sugar-free chewing gum may do the trick. Don't be tempted to use glue—it could contain all manner of toxic substances.
Snapped plate
Unless you have an emergency denture repair kit, it's best to leave the broken denture as it is and make an emergency appointment for professional repairs.
Metal clasps bent or broken
You may be able to carefully bend them back into shape, but make sure the fit is comfortable, and get them checked by a dentist as soon as you can. If they're snapped, avoid using the dentures—the sharp parts could injure your mouth.
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