Although dentures are a durable substitute for natural teeth, they do require routine care and maintenance throughout their lifetime. It is likely that you will need an occasional Denture repair or denture reline at some point in order to keep your dentures looking and functioning at their best.
What is the process involved in repairing and relining dentures? How do you know when you need the services of a Denture Repair dentist?
What Is a Denture Repair Dentist?
A denture repair dentist is a dentist who has the facilities and knowledge to repair or reline your denture in-office, usually within a matter of one or two business days. There are no dentists that specialize in performing only denture repairs; rather, it is an offshoot of making dentures.
Many denture clinics throughout the country offer same-day repair services because of the capabilities of their onsite denture laboratory. They have the materials and the personnel available to offer this specialized service that allows for the return of your denture in like-new condition.
Denture Repair
Denture repair restores function and appearance to a denture that has been cracked or damaged. Whether a denture is broken in half from being dropped or a tooth has fallen out of the baseplate, a repair allows you to continue wearing your existing denture without the inconvenience of purchasing a new one.
A denture repair dentist can also perform a repair preemptively when a defect in the material develops, avoiding the uncertainty associated with a small crack that eventually progresses into a broken denture at the most inopportune moment.
There are limitations to repairs and times when a denture repair for broken or damaged dentures is not money well spent. If your denture is over 5 years old or has been repaired previously, you are probably better off applying the money that you would have spent for a repair to a new denture.
Also, if the denture has been subjected to some sort of abuse, such as a car backing over it or an animal chewing on it, understand that the denture usually cannot be repaired even by the most experienced dentist. In that case, a new denture is really the only option.
Often, denture wearers will want same-day denture repair and attempt to repair their dentures with gorilla glue, super glue, or an at-home repair kit. This is not advisable and usually yields less than desirable results, expanding your denture repair costs in the long run. If you use one of these methods, plan to purchase a new denture, as it takes a skilled craftsperson to repair dentures to their functional condition.
Signs That You Need Denture Repairs
- Visible cracks or damage to the denture
- Acrylic that is not smooth or catches debris
- Chipped or missing denture teeth
- Embedded stains that can’t be removed with routine home care
Denture Reline
Over time, gum tissue and the bone structure of the mouth naturally changes, allowing dentures that once fit well to no longer make uniform contact with all of the tissue surfaces that support it. As a result, the denture begins to move in function, and food becomes easily trapped under the appliance.
A denture reline is the process of adding new material to the inside surface of an existing denture in order to improve its fit and allow it to make intimate contact with the topography of the mouth, thus improving retention and comfort.
Denture relining may be a temporary solution to buy yourself time until you have a new denture made. Or it can be a longer-term solution designed to restore and extend the life of your denture. A denture specialist will help you decide whether a reline is likely to help your situation and will advise you accordingly.
It takes a certain finesse to reline dentures correctly, and it is never a good idea to attempt have your dentures fixed at home. In certain cases, the best course of action is a new denture that is made to fit the current shape of your gums.
Signs That You Need a Dental Reline
- Dentures that no longer fit as well as they once did
- Slipping dentures
- Slurred or whistling speech
- Difficulty eating foods that you were able to eat previously with no problem
- Chronic sore spots inside the mouth
- Generalized discomfort while wearing your dentures
Picking a Good Denture Repair Dentist
European Denture Center is an experienced denture lab and provider of high-quality, affordable dentures. Because we have onsite denture repair labs, denture repairs, and reline services are a top priority. We understand your hesitation when it comes to entrusting your denture to someone else for help.
Rest assured that we want you to be satisfied with our denture repair lab services. We take the same care with our repairs and relines as we do with all of our new dentures. In addition, we offer Rapid Repair mail-in service for regular or emergency denture repair that allows you to have your dentures repaired without traveling to our office. Denture repair services when you need them most!
