I Broke My Denture! Is This a Dental Emergency?

Dentures are a lifechanging tooth replacement option for people who are missing most of or all of their teeth. They restore patients’ abilities to chew their food, speak, clearly, and smile with confidence. This makes it especially challenging if you find yourself in a situation where your denture is broken. This may not be painful or life-threatening, but you rely on your denture every day, so this should be treated as an emergency. Continue reading to learn what you should do.

How Do Dentures Become Damaged?

Modern dentures are very strong, but they can still become damaged if you aren’t careful. Here are some ways this can occur:

• Accident: If you are injured or drop your dentures by accident, they can become damaged.
• Improper Use: The purpose of dentures is to help you chew your food, smile, keep in your saliva, and speak clearly. You shouldn’t use them for other tasks, like opening bottles, ripping through packaging, or biting nails. Improper use can cause them to become damaged.
• Wear & Tear: Dentures last for several years, but not forever. They can become worn after many years of use.

How to Handle a Broken Denture

If you have a broken denture, you should give your dentist a call so it can be addressed at your earliest convenience. It isn’t painful or life threatening, but you need this issue to be resolved as soon as possible. Give your dentist a call to let them know what’s happening. Then, they can schedule you for an urgent visit to get to the bottom of the issue.

You can find denture repair kits online, but these aren’t usually good options for fixing replacement teeth. You need to have the proper knowledge to repair them correctly. If you don’t, you could end up accidentally damaging them further.

What’s the Solution for a Broken Denture?

When you go to the dental office, your dentist will determine the best way to restore your denture. Here are some of the possible outcomes:

• Reline: When dentures don’t fit properly, your dentist may suggest that you have them relined. This is when their underside is reshaped to feel more comfortable against your gums.
• Replace: If your dentures are old and worn, or the damage is beyond repair, your dentist will likely recommend that you have new dentures made.
• Dental Implants: You may be a good candidate for implant dentures. They offer greater stability, prevent bone loss, are more comfortable, and last much longer than traditional dentures.

Broken dentures absolutely count as a dental emergency. By getting in touch with your dentist, your smile will be good as new in just a matter of time!

About the Author

After attending dental school in India, Dr. Neelima Ravi moved to the United States and earned her Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine. To learn more about dentures or to schedule an appointment at her office in Hampton, visit her website or call (603) 926-1551.