If you have a broken denture, the most important step is the one people skip: do not glue it back together at home. Keep every piece, switch to a backup denture if you have one, and call a dental office. Many cracks, broken clasps and loose teeth can be repaired, but home glue can make a simple repair impossible. Here is what to do in the first hour, what the repair options are, and how to keep it from happening again.
If you think you swallowed or breathed in a piece of denture or a small tooth and you have coughing that won't stop, chest pain or trouble breathing, go to the ER now.
Reaching for superglue is understandable, especially on a Saturday night. But household glues cause three problems:
Drugstore denture repair kits are closer to the right idea, but they still depend on lining the pieces up perfectly by hand. Treat any home fix as a stopgap for a day or two at most, and tell your dentist what you used.
| What happened | What usually happens next |
|---|---|
| A tooth popped off the denture | If you have the tooth, the lab can often reattach it. If it is lost or broken, a new tooth is matched and set. |
| A chipped denture tooth | The chipped tooth is replaced or rebuilt, depending on the damage. |
| A crack in the base that has not gone all the way through | Repaired before it spreads, and the fit is checked to see why it cracked. |
| The denture broke in two | Often repairable if the pieces line up cleanly. The fit is checked, and a reline may be done at the same time. |
| A broken clasp on a partial | Depends on the type. A wire clasp can often be added to an acrylic or metal partial; flexible partials can be harder to repair. |
| Warped from hot water or a dishwasher | Usually not repairable, because the whole shape has changed. A new denture is typically needed. |
The type of partial matters for repairs. Cast metal frameworks and acrylic partials can usually be modified, while flexible resin partials often have fewer repair options. If you wear a partial and lose another natural tooth, the denture can sometimes have a tooth added rather than being replaced.
Dentures do break from drops, but many breaks are the end of a slower story. As the gums and bone shrink, a denture rests less evenly and starts to flex with every bite. An upper denture that flexes for months can split down the middle without any fall at all. Repairing the crack without fixing the fit can mean another break soon.
That is why a good repair visit asks why it broke. If the fit has changed, a reline at the same time can help the repair last. If the denture has been repaired before, the teeth have worn flat, or the denture is old and stained, a new denture may be the better use of your money. Our post on full-arch implants vs dentures is worth a look if you are tired of repairs and want something that does not come out.
Medically, usually not. A broken denture is rarely dangerous, but it is very disruptive, since eating, speaking and going to work without teeth is hard. It is reasonable to want it fixed quickly, and most offices treat it as a priority.
It becomes urgent when there is a deep cut that won't stop bleeding with pressure, a swallowed or inhaled piece with breathing symptoms, or a sharp metal clasp lodged in the gum. For the general first steps in a dental emergency, see our emergency dental care page.
Prana Dental offers same-day appointments Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm, when you call or text first. We are closed Sundays.
At Prana, Dr. Rana plans complete, partial and implant-supported dentures and works with our in-house lab, so many repairs can be handled without sending your denture away. Our dentures page explains each type. The cost depends on the damage, whether a reline or new teeth are needed, and the materials, and your exact price is confirmed in writing before the repair begins. Many plans cover denture repairs and relines, often under major services, subject to deductibles, waiting periods and annual maximums. We check your benefits for you.
Dr. Aakash Rana, DDS is a general dentist trained at NYU College of Dentistry, with more than $100,000 in continuing education. He plans and treats each case at Prana Dental himself, works with our in-house lab, and refers to a specialist when a case needs one.
No. Superglue and other household glues are not made for use in the mouth, can irritate the gums, and can shift the pieces out of line. They also make a proper lab repair harder, sometimes impossible. Keep the pieces and call your dentist instead.
It depends on the damage. A tooth that popped off or a simple crack can often be fixed quickly, especially when the office has its own lab. A denture that broke because the fit has changed may also need a reline, which can add time.
Keep the tooth in a small bag or container and avoid chewing hard foods with that area. Do not glue it back in. A lab can usually reattach it or set a matching new tooth in the same spot.
Many cracks can be repaired. A new denture may make more sense if the denture has been repaired before, the teeth are worn flat, it warped from heat, or the fit is poor enough that it will likely break again.
Sometimes it is a drop. Often, though, the gums and bone have changed so the denture no longer rests evenly and flexes with every bite until it cracks. That is why the fit should be checked, and often relined, when a denture is repaired.
Call or text (786) 579-0521 and send a photo if you can. We're open, on Biscayne Blvd in Edgewater.